Meanwhile In Iraq

Since the anniversary of the end of the war in Iraq came and left without much fanfare, now is a good time to reflect upon what is no doubt the greatest redistribution of wealth in world history.

Estimates place the costs of the war in Iraq at unprecedented levels.

To date:

• 4,394 American service men and women have lost their lives
• Over 30,000 wounded American military
• Iraqi civilian deaths are +100,000
• Total war deaths (civilian plus military) +110,000

Monetary Costs:

• Cost of invasion and occupation so far: $748 billion
• At home costs (veteran's health care) +$422 billion

If the war ended today we would have already spent $1.17 trillion on Iraq. Staggering amounts no matter how you phrase it.  Of course the war won't end today and we will for years to come keep spending money occupying and rebuilding Iraq. And we will also for an entire generation pay for the veteran's health care here at home.  The $1.17 trillion is just a starting number.

This was a war of total choice by the Bush administration; people who pride themselves at being fiscal conservatives mind you.  Not one thing they ever told us about the war was true.  The reasoning, the invasion or the costs all of it was lies. Iraq did not have WMD.  Iraq did not have ties to 9/11.  It did not take a matter of weeks. Iraq did not pay for itself.  And we were not and have not liberated anything. Iraq has proven to be a blunder of epic proportions.  The ultimate consequence-- with far greater burdens than we even realize-- was that it turned our attention and resources away from the people responsible for 9/11 effectively leaving America in a state of perpetual war since 2001.  The result allowed those responsible for killing thousands of innocent Americans to escape with impunity.  Meanwhile, we now own Iraq.

Though violence has wained in Iraq-- just Monday over 120 people were blown up in the streets-- a sudden urge of war, occupation and sectarian hatred still grasps the country.  Cataclysmic failure all around.