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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

This Is Going to be a Campaign Issue, Right?

posted by on August 6 at 9:15 AM

A pair of headlines:

Iraq’s oil-fueled surplus could hit $80 billion, report says
US deficit zooming to half-trillion as Bush leaves

So… we’ve got a 500 billion-dollar deficit while Iraq, thanks to the price of oil, is approaching a $100 billion-dollar surplus. And this war, according to the Bush administration, was supposed to pay for itself.

RSS icon Comments

1

My War Weariness is through the roof.

Posted by Bellevue Ave | August 6, 2008 9:18 AM
2

Because there's nothing fairer than bombing the crap out of a country, destroying its infrastructure, and then expecting them to pay to repair the damage themselves.

Posted by demo kid | August 6, 2008 9:29 AM
3

Just a friendly reminder that the half-trillion dollars is for our next fiscal year only. Our total deficit is now approaching $10 trillion.

That's $10,000,000,000,000, aka ten-thousand billion, aka more than you can even conceive of. It would take a couple of Bill Gates' entire fortunes to pay just the interest on that for one year.

Posted by Mahtli69 | August 6, 2008 9:30 AM
4

The American people voted for this war and they voted for this deluded dolt Bush. Therefore, I think the American people should pay, and pay through the nose, for all the damage we've done. We got away with ruining Vietnam without paying any money(yes, we paid in blood). Maybe it will make us think a little harder if our imperialism costs us money, since that seems to be the only thing we understand.

Posted by Vince | August 6, 2008 9:32 AM
5

The implication at the time was that somehow part of the oil money would be used to offset our costs for the invasion. Of course, what happened instead is the oil companies who actually call the shots in our government got no-bid contracts for those oil fields and are enjoying record profits thanks to the soaring price of crude while the U.S. economy spirals down the toilet. I can't believe anybody fell for that old trick, pretending that enriching private oil companies will somehow translate into a benefit to the American consumer.

Except, of course, that argument is still being made with issues like offshore drilling -- "you assume the risk and expense, we'll keep the profit, and maybe somehow something good will come of it for you."

Americans have been suckered again and again with this con, because like all the best cons this one plays on the mark's greed and arrogance.

Posted by flamingbanjo | August 6, 2008 9:42 AM
6

Will this ba a campaign issue? Sure, right after the sort out who is wearing a fucking pin (McCain), who has the craziest preacher (Obama), and who holds their hand over their heart (McCain again).

Then they gotta figure out who is playing the race card, who the media likes more, etc.

I hate to say it, but Americans are too dumb and self-centered to care aobout something like this. Even if they did, all McCain would have to say is, "The Democrats did it!" and the whole fucking country would believe him.

Posted by Mike in MO | August 6, 2008 9:44 AM
7

@ 4: well put, sir.

Posted by Mike in MO | August 6, 2008 9:46 AM
8

sorry, meant @ 5. 4 was pretty good too, but Americans never learn anything.

Posted by Mike in MO | August 6, 2008 9:47 AM
9

Maybe Iraq could use that money to rebuild their own infrastructure, which thirty years of war and terror have destroyed. If we're nationbuilding, we can't rob the countries we're trying to build. We should pay our own fucking debt.

Posted by Fnarf | August 6, 2008 9:49 AM
10

Did Yoda write this post's title?

Posted by DOUG. | August 6, 2008 9:49 AM
11

Hey, it fits with the Repugs' quarter-century-old strategy of forcing the deficit (and the national debt) so far past the redline that proposing new spending for social programs, alternative energy, etc. is all but impossible.

Always remember that it's the captains of industry and finance who benefit most from extreme deficits and the low dollar. Inflation, stagnation, job losses, etc. are the "benefits" that trickle down to the rest of us.

Look for revised figures coming out just before the 2010 elections "proving" that a recession didn't begin until after Obama took office.

Posted by rob | August 6, 2008 10:23 AM
12

Pull.
The.
Plug.

NOW!

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 6, 2008 10:29 AM
13

I had to spend a year in Iraq fighting this bullshit war. Back in 2002 when the entire fucking world knew invading a sovereign country that had done nothing to provoke an invasion was completely criminal, Dan Savage thought it was a swell idea. Here's the link which I encourage everyone to read:


http://lefarkins.blogspot.com/2006/03/savage-demagoguery.html


Dan, you are a sanctimonious asshole and I can't stand your use of the "we" pronoun, as in "...we're going to come over there, remove you from power, free your people, and reform your societies for ourselves." That's funny, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE. Fuck you Dan.

Posted by Adam | August 6, 2008 10:44 AM
14

The true tragedy of war is not just that it kills people but the fact that it becomes an unimaginably massive boondoggle for military and pork spending that encourages its prolonging by both political parties.

Posted by Gay Seattle | August 6, 2008 10:59 AM
15

get the fuck out of iraq, cut the military in half, legalize & tax pot, raise taxes on the richest 1%, and the deficit goes away real quick.

BTW, if obama tries nos. 2 & 3, he'll get a bullet in the head.

Posted by max solomon | August 6, 2008 11:03 AM
16

i mean to say i believe it will lead to his assasination by reactionary right wing forces.

Posted by max solomon | August 6, 2008 11:05 AM
17

i can't believe how much this war played out to look exactly like a war for corporate control over oil would look.

Posted by infrequent | August 6, 2008 12:17 PM
18

13, GET OVER IT. Yeah, Dan supported the war, but so did most people in America, and like most people in America, he eventually realized he'd been mistaken. There is nothing to be gained by yelling at people for being wrong in good faith. People are allowed to change their minds with new evidence, ok? We already know the history of his position and calling more attention to it like we don't know is irritating. I'm sorry that the nation's collective lack of ability to detect a con condemned you to a year fighting a bullshit war, but your yelling at Dan is not productive.

Posted by east coaster | August 7, 2008 11:00 PM

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