(no subject)

[pmb]

Y'know, we could have just given every Iraqi citizen $37 336.58 and we'd still be ahead by 3,000 american lives and 500,000 iraqi lives. A trillion is a very large number. I bet that, for a flat rate of 37k per capita, we could have gotten the entire Iraqi army to overthrow Saddam all on their own.

Or, as an alternate view, you and I and everyone we know in this country has paid or will pay 4,000 dollars each for this useless war.

Comments

[dragonmudd.livejournal.com]

You misunderstand me. I was trying to argue that spending that wealth on the war effort is more beneficial to our economy than giving the money away to the Iraqi people.

[patrissimo.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought you said - and I believe that it is wrong. If we give the money to Iraqi's, they will buy American goods with it (what else would they do with dollars?). The result is that the wealth is directed towards giving people American goods, rather than buying bombs and tanks and fueling planes and carriers or whatever it is we do with the money when fighting a war.

In the former case, at the end of the day, people have lots of stereos and Ford pickups and whatever. In the latter case, you've blown up a lot of shit and flown a lot of planes in circles, and maybe stockpiled a bunch more supplies for destroying things. It's no contest.

[dragonmudd.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see what you are saying now. Good point.