What Economic Price This War?

[ub4me]

by James K. Galbraith

http://commondreams.org/views03/0324-02.htm

 

[rchiu]

Who cares, freeing Iraq will make all American's problem go away right?

 

[flavio]

We didn't really have any use for that couple of hundred billion dollars anyway.

 

[WangChungNinjaCo]

Originally posted by: flavioWe didn't really have any use for that couple of hundred billion dollars anyway.

Why does the USA aid them when we could spend all that money aiding our OWN people.

When I woke up this morning I turned on MSNBC and they showed the US giving out bags of food. There were hundreds of the like going to steal everything! At LEAST they could get in a line. lol

I just don't get it

 

[ReiAyanami]

how much money do we lose NOT going to war?!

let see, if we spend $350 billion on an army and dont use it, we lose $350 billion. if we use the army, then its well spent.

if we sit and let hitler roll into poland, it'll cost more in the long run. also, 9/11 proves what inactivity will do, can you imagine what economic damage a bio-chemical attack would do to a major city?

 

[flavio]

Originally posted by: ReiAyanami
let see, if we spend $350 billion on an army and dont use it, we lose $350 billion. if we use the army, then its well spent.

It costs extra money to USE the army. Bush wouldn't have needed to ask for 75 billion for starters recently if we wern't in Iraq. So look at the cost of the war as money above and beyond what would have been spent if there was no war.

 

[joohang]

While we are on the topic, I'd like to ask an economist or anybody with some understanding of economics to explain me this:

I keep hearing arguments about oil and profit from anti-war people.

I got the impression that the Americans actually LOSE more than they gain. Is my view overly simplistic? Is there a potential long-term benefit?

 

[rchiu]

Originally posted by: joohang
While we are on the topic, I'd like to ask an economist or anybody with some understanding of economics to explain me this:

I keep hearing arguments about oil and profit from anti-war people.

I got the impression that the Americans actually LOSE more than they gain. Is my view overly simplistic? Is there a potential long-term benefit?

Heh, depending who you are talking about. Oil and profit from rebuidling project goes to big company (Bush/Republicant backers, surprise surprise) pocket. Money for war/rebuilding coming from tax dollar you and I paid. So yeah, good long/short term benefit for certain people and not so good for the rest of us.

 

[joohang]

Originally posted by: rchiu

Originally posted by: joohang
While we are on the topic, I'd like to ask an economist or anybody with some understanding of economics to explain me this:

I keep hearing arguments about oil and profit from anti-war people.

I got the impression that the Americans actually LOSE more than they gain. Is my view overly simplistic? Is there a potential long-term benefit?

Heh, depending who you are talking about. Oil and profit from rebuidling project goes to big company (Bush/Republicant backers, surprise surprise) pocket. Money for war/rebuilding coming from tax dollar you and I paid. So yeah, good long/short term benefit for certain people and not so good for the rest of us.

BTW, I'm a Canadian, although chances are, bits of my tax dollars do flow into the US in some way.

Are you sure that American companies will take part of the rebuilding project? I thought that many were already planned to be assigned to companies from other nations (I think that many South Korean companies wanted the project).

And are you sure that the Americans will take control of the oil?

 

[rchiu]

Originally posted by: joohang

Originally posted by: rchiu

Originally posted by: joohang
While we are on the topic, I'd like to ask an economist or anybody with some understanding of economics to explain me this:

I keep hearing arguments about oil and profit from anti-war people.

I got the impression that the Americans actually LOSE more than they gain. Is my view overly simplistic? Is there a potential long-term benefit?

Heh, depending who you are talking about. Oil and profit from rebuidling project goes to big company (Bush/Republicant backers, surprise surprise) pocket. Money for war/rebuilding coming from tax dollar you and I paid. So yeah, good long/short term benefit for certain people and not so good for the rest of us.

BTW, I'm a Canadian, although chances are, bits of my tax dollars do flow into the US in some way.

Are you sure that American companies will take part of the rebuilding project? I thought that many were already planned to be assigned to companies from other nations (I think that many South Korean companies wanted the project).

And are you sure that the Americans will take control of the oil?

We will see, Korean probably stands a good chance of getting some projects as a payback for supporting US on this war. As for the oil, I am sure the friendly government of Iraq US government installed will work out some nice deals with the US oil companies. I just hope those companies will hand down some money to the poor old folks like me