For a Few Trillion More

Former United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, interviewed on the Fox News Bill O’Reilly Show today, confirmed that so far the Iraq war has cost our nation more than 4000 dead and over a trillion dollars.

We creamed Saddam’s army, toppled his regime in a matter of days, hunted him down, dragged him out of his spider hole, and let his angry subjects hang him from the gallows till dead. That all happened years ago.

So my question is this: What did we get for it?

After the horror of 9/11, we invaded Afghanistan, routed the Taliban, installed a puppet regime, and chased Osama Bin Laden into a life of hiding. That all happened years ago.

So my question is this: What did we get for it?

Consider every other international conflict the United States has been involved in since the end of WWII; all the thousands upon thousands of dead soldiers; all the trillions and billions of dollars cast into the Twilight Zone; and all the tremendous sacrifices of our ever accommodating population. That all happened years ago too.

Same question: What did we get for it?

What does John Q. Untied States Citizen get for it?

Even now there is big talk in high places about invading Libya by imposing a no-fly zone there. The United States has begun moving warships toward Libya. The Obama administration has declared all options are on the table in its diplomatic, economic, and military campaign to drive Moammar Gadhafi from power.

"Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to govern, and it is time for him to go without further violence or delay," Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, candidly told reporters, as if it is a given from above that the natural, proper duty and responsibility for the U.S.A. is to take sides and jump with all of our considerable might into every political controversey on the planet, no matter what the eventual cost and sacrifice.

What will we get for it?

The French got all their money back to the penny with interest and everlasting gratitude after they supported our American revolution.

This is what we get:

The Vietnam War was lost big time; it was all sacrifice for no gain. Bin Laden is still at large. We’re stuck in a quagmire in both Iraq and Afghanistan. All of the underlying political problems surrounding every conflict still remain. Our nation still maintains, after all these many decades, a hugely expensive presence, together with substantial numbers of troops and armaments, in or near almost every former hot spot all over the globe. We’ll be doing so for decades to come with no end is sight. If we don’t, as the government theory goes, the situation will revert right back to chaos in no time, or our national security will be threatened. And the world hates us more than ever.

There are just as many or more real and imagined terrorists, bad guys, and bogey men as ever. Domestic security measures have become paranoid, overly intrusive, and unreasonable; yet we’re less safe in our beds now than ever – from our own legal authorities. Cherished constitutional rights are eroding.

Oil is priced at over $100 per barrel, gold at $1,400 per ounce, and climbing; the U.S. dollar is crashing. We will never, ever see any of those trillions and billions again. Not only is it all gone forever, but we’re still paying dearly on the debt it has caused, and new demands are escalating beyond human control; this shit never ends.

That’s why we’re $14 trillion in debt. That’s where the big money has been going and disappearing since WWII. It’s not so much the domestic general welfare and entitlement programs that are busting us; those are a drop in the bucket compared to what is spent on defense, security, international intrigue, and military folly.

At least with entitlements John Q. Untied States Citizen is getting something out of the deal. Social Security and Medicare at least benefit some American citizens.

I would rather have groceries in everyone’s pantry, and food on the table, than F-16 fighter planes in Iraq, Americans in body bags, and $14 trillion in the Twilight Zone.