As
we reach the fifth anniversary of the U.S. military invasion of Iraq,
we mourn the deaths of 4,000 of our brave military and the loss of
tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Iraqi citizens. For those of
us who agree with the prevailing opinion of independent military and
foreign-policy experts that the war should not have happened, cannot
be won, and is in fact making us less secure around the world, the
continuation of the war is both heartbreaking and inexplicable.
Yet, however any of us feels about the war, in this time of economic recession, a mounting and historic level of debt, and the inability of all levels of government to take care of our needs at home, we must ask the question: Can we financially afford to continue this war? It's time to take a hard look at what our continuing presence in Iraq is costing our country in financial terms.
National security involves more than military concerns. It also is connected inextricably to our economy at home, the health and education of our citizens, and the safety and maintenance of our own infrastructure. As we are paying for this war during a time of tax cuts for the affluent, we are paying for the war on credit. We are not being asked as Americans to make any sacrifices. In fact, we are getting tax rebates. The only people being asked to make sacrifices are our military, our National Guard, and their families.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and his co-author Linda Bilmes of the Kennedy School at Harvard University have estimated that the ultimate costs of the war will be $3 trillion. Their calculations put the total cost of the first four years of the Iraq war at over $1 trillion, and $720 million per day, every day - or a half-million dollars per minute for as long as it continues. These are figures that are impossible to comprehend or to visualize. How do we wrap our minds around a number as large as $720 million a day? The American Friends Services Committee (http://www.afsc.org) has extrapolated what that amount of money could pay for at home.
• Health insurance for an adult costs $4,403 per year. $720 million could cover 163,525 people.
• The average cost of a new elementary school is $8,497,627. $720 million could pay for 84 brand-new schools.
• It costs $624 to give a child free school lunches for a year. $720 million could buy lunch for 1,153,846 kids.
• An affordable housing unit costs around $111,061. $720 million could buy 6,482 homes.
• A year of Head Start costs $7,550. $720 million could open 95,364 new slots.
• The average cost of renewable electricity for a home is $565 per year. $720 million could pay for 1,274,336 homes to have it.
• An average school teacher's salary is $57,000. $720 million could put 12,478 new teachers in the classroom.
• The average cost of a four-year state university is $20,628. $720 million could put 34,904 students through college.
• Health insurance for a child costs $1,700 per year. $720 million could cover 423,529 kids.
We have an obligation to make sure that Iraq war veterans are taken care of upon return. Thousands of military personnel have suffered severe brain and spinal injuries that will require around-the-clock care for the rest of their lives. Over 25,000 military were wounded in the first four years. Other wounds include post-traumatic stress syndrome, exposure to depleted uranium, blindness, loss of limbs, and severe burns. Those future costs of care are estimated at $290 billion. The interest on the war debt amounts to $191 billion and is growing.
For how long can we support the continuation of this effort? To what end?
Are we being made safer from terrorism? How would you spend $720 million a day here at home? What is in our best interests? These are questions that we are called upon as citizens to contemplate, study, and answer. Our leaders need to be called to account for what their plans are for our future presence in Iraq. Get informed, ask the tough questions, and let our leaders know what you think.
Cathy Bolkcom is a resident of LeClaire and one of the founders of the Quad Cities organization Progressive Action for the Common Good (http://www.qcprogressiveaction.org).
Correction
In last week's issue of the Reader, the location of the Stacy A. Cordery discussion of her book Alice was incorrect. The event will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at the Moline Public Library, 3210 41st Street.
The Reader regrets the error.
