This article from AlterNet states the budgeted price for the current "surge" in Iraq as $5.6 billion, and that another billion has already been added to the price. That's almost $7 billion right off the bat. Does anyone else find that price shocking? Didn't Bush promise that the original invasion would probably only cost about $6 billion... I mean it was pretty much going to be self financing he told us. Now they add a measly 20,000 troops to hold just Baghdad and it costs a whopping $6.6 billion (if you believe they could stick to budget just once!).
And finally...
As Mickey Rooney said this weekend on 60 minutes, the recruitment policies of the US Army are digging deeper and deeper into the barrel, finding more and more desperate souls to go fight their war. The average American has no interest in playing a part in this NeoCon mis-adventure. In future if America wants to go to war it should be paid for by average Americans and if they wont sign up voluntarily then it must be draft.
Personally I think that is a brilliant idea - there should be a constitutional amendment to require a draft before going into any war, even its a specious "on terrorism" war. I think that will give the US public laser focus on the issues next time a misleader is trying to drag us kicking and screaming into another Iraq.
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