9 billion dollars

[Magyar]

Remember the good old days when Republicans at least PRETENDED to care about where your tax dollars went!

$9 Billion seems to have just went up in smoke and the
biggest response seems to be the outrgage that someone dared to ask where it went.


Must be great in to be in the in-crowd.

 

[Beleth]

We had to pay off Dr. Evil so he wouldn't unleash "Preparation H" on the world, and now the gubmint is too embarrassed to admit it.

 

[Ladewig]

Remember the good old days when Republicans at least PRETENDED to care about where your tax dollars went!

$9 Billion seems to have just went up in smoke and the
biggest response seems to be the outrgage that someone dared to ask where it went.


Must be great in to be in the in-crowd.

When you start threads, please make the headline detailed enough that casual readers will know what you are talking about without opening the thread.

Also, what are you talking about?
There is no link or explanation of what $9 billion you are complaining about.

 

[Nitpick]

Re: Re: 9 billion dollars

Also, what are you talking about?
There is no link or explanation of what $9 billion you are complaining about.

Hi!
It looks like 8 to 9 billion dollars are unaccounted for in Iraq

Link:

WASHINGTON -- The U.S.-led provisional government in charge of Iraq until last summer was unable to properly account for more than $8 billion in Iraqi funds it was charged with safeguarding, according to a scathing new audit report.

 

[materia3]

Can you spell Halliburton?

 

[a_unique_person]

Re: Re: Re: 9 billion dollars

Hi!
It looks like 8 to 9 billion dollars are unaccounted for in Iraq

Link:

I guess those calls for the dismantlement of the UN will be echoed with calls for the resignation of GWB.

 

[Magyar]

Re: Re: 9 billion dollars

When you start threads, please make the headline detailed enough that casual readers will know what you are talking about without opening the thread.

Also, what are you talking about?
There is no link or explanation of what $9 billion you are complaining about.

Oh, sorry, I forgot that anything resembling reality or casting a bad light on the neocons doesn't get any play on the "fair and balanced" network.

But I figured out where it is it's George's tenth and gwod has the money now for services rendered.

 

[Ladyhawk]

..and hold on to your hats, kiddies, coz Dubya's gonna ask Congress for another 80+ billion!

I'm dumbfounded that more people aren't seeing red on this one. This entire War in Iraq has me chewing nails!

We've got about 150,000 troops over there, many of whom may not come home for another 2 years or more. Over 1000 soldiers dead. (That's "dead" as in ain't never coming home again ) And now, we somehow can't account for 9 BILLION dollars of the taxpayer's money.

We invaded a country that was no threat to us, overthrew their dictator (albeit, he needed to be overthrown), put American soliders in an environment so hostile that not even the people we went there to "protect" wanted us there.

And for what? So that Iraqi civilians could vote and establish a democracy that will no doubt grow to be as corrupt as our own someday. Dubya got a new poster child for his victory: a smiling Iraqi woman with ink-stained fingers showing the PEACE sign. How f*cking touching. I'm all choked up.

And best of all? Osama Bin Laden is still wandering around cutting new videos every other month. You remember Osama, right? The guy who was actually responsible for 9/11?

 

[Ohmer]

My blood also boils when I think of human and financial cost of this war. However, I think it is important to think about what “unable to properly account for” means. It is not the same as wasted. If I were in a war zone trying to get the water and electricity back on without getting myself blown up, I doubt that keeping accurate financial records would be my top priority.

I certainly don’t want to give these guys a free pass. I am glad it’s being scrutinized. At the same time, we shouldn’t assume all 9 billion went up in smoke just because there aren’t detailed records of how it was spent. Them again, I suppose that we shouldn’t assume that a penny of it was used properly because there aren’t detailed records of how it was spent. I’m sure the truth is somewhere in between.

Just to add the Ladyhawk’s rant, I live in Portland Oregon USA and my city’s school district has an annual budget of about $400 million and has to make cuts. Compare that to what is being spent in Iraq and I am also having nails for lunch.

 

[Brown]

We've got about 150,000 troops over there, many of whom may not come home for another 2 years or more. Over 1000 soldiers dead. (That's "dead" as in ain't never coming home again ) And now, we somehow can't account for 9 BILLION dollars of the taxpayer's money.

We invaded a country that was no threat to us, overthrew their dictator (albeit, he needed to be overthrown), put American soliders in an environment so hostile that not even the people we went there to "protect" wanted us there.

And for what? So that Iraqi civilians could vote and establish a democracy that will no doubt grow to be as corrupt as our own someday.

Establish a democracy? Well, we can hope so, but that result is far from certain. The election included a divisive religious issue, in that Sunni clerics urged their followers not to vote, and now the Sunni clerics are challenging the legitimacy of the election because Sunnis did not vote. (If these guys weren't Sunnis, I'd accuse them of demonstrating exceptional chutzpah.)

Meanwhile, the ticket endorsed by the Shiite clergy is expected to win big. Shiites outnumber Sunnis in Iraq by about four to one.

Looks like the clergy is playing a pretty big role in the election. Sunni clergy tell their followers not to vote, and many comply. Shiite clergy tell their followers whom to vote for, and many comply.

And there is a distinct possibility that the clergy, having influenced the election, will expect to play a big role in government. There is still a very real possibility that Iraq will be fractured along religious lines and will move toward a religious theocracy, similar to the government of Iran.

And if that happens, how could the USA possibly cite the outcome to justify what it did? Keep in mind that tonight, little Bush is expected to justify US actions based in part upon the "outcome," i.e., the fact that elections of some form have taken place.

As I have said before, I hope that the Iraq venture succeeds. But it is still too early to claim victory, and if the people of Iraq eventually choose to govern themselves with a religious theocracy, then the USA will have to ask itself: "What have we accomplished?"

 

[geni]

..and hold on to your hats, kiddies, coz Dubya's gonna ask Congress for another 80+ billion!

I'm dumbfounded that more people aren't seeing red on this one. This entire War in Iraq has me chewing nails!

We've got about 150,000 troops over there, many of whom may not come home for another 2 years or more. Over 1000 soldiers dead. (That's "dead" as in ain't never coming home again ) And now, we somehow can't account for 9 BILLION dollars of the taxpayer's money.

I suspect there is enough oil beneth Iraq to pay for that quite comfortably.

 

[Ladyhawk]

I suspect there is enough oil beneth Iraq to pay for that quite comfortably.

For the 80 billion? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the check.

And as for the American lives lost, there isn't enough oil in all the world.

 

[geni]

For the 80 billion? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the check.

The startup costs on building an empire tend to be high

And as for the American lives lost, there isn't enough oil in all the world. [/B]

I think you will find that there is. The US has a per capita GDP value of $37,352. So far the US has lost a bit over 1000 troops. That means a total loss of around 40 million a year on US GDP I think there is enough oil to pay for that.

Sure the above is insanely cinical.

 

[peptoabysmal]

..and hold on to your hats, kiddies, coz Dubya's gonna ask Congress for another 80+ billion!

I'm dumbfounded that more people aren't seeing red on this one. This entire War in Iraq has me chewing nails!

er... Ease up on the caffeine?

We've got about 150,000 troops over there, many of whom may not come home for another 2 years or more. Over 1000 soldiers dead. (That's "dead" as in ain't never coming home again ) And now, we somehow can't account for 9 BILLION dollars of the taxpayer's money.

Wasn't it predicted by the doom and gloom crowd that we'd have about 50,000 dead by now? And no, that's Iraqi money that is unaccounted for, according to the stories at the provided link, not US taxpayer money.

We invaded a country that was no threat to us, overthrew their dictator (albeit, he needed to be overthrown), put American soliders in an environment so hostile that not even the people we went there to "protect" wanted us there.

They were a threat to our soldiers in that they have had to be in the Gulf risking their lives to make Saddam pretend to be a good boy for the last 12 years before the war. Remember the USS Cole?

And for what? So that Iraqi civilians could vote and establish a democracy that will no doubt grow to be as corrupt as our own someday. Dubya got a new poster child for his victory: a smiling Iraqi woman with ink-stained fingers showing the PEACE sign. How f*cking touching. I'm all choked up.

Er... Could it have been a victory sign?

And best of all? Osama Bin Laden is still wandering around cutting new videos every other month. You remember Osama, right? The guy who was actually responsible for 9/11?

So, you think we should be at war with Pakistan instead?

 

[fishbob]

They were a threat to our soldiers in that they have had to be in the Gulf risking their lives to make Saddam pretend to be a good boy for the last 12 years before the war. Remember the USS Cole?

Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11.
Saddam had nothing to do with Al Queda.
Saddam had nothing to do with the Cole bombing.
or Pearl Harbor or Little Big Horn.

Ease up on the apologism before you sprain something.

 

[corplinx]

Ease up on the apologism before you sprain something.

Ding ding ding, you win the thread! First person to accuse someone else of being a mere apologist!

Don't feel bad, many of the other posters seem to be using this tactic lately.

 

[geni]

So, you think we should be at war with Pakistan instead?

Has WMD. cheack

Has supported bin larden. cheack

Run by a dictator. check

You know you might have an idea there.

 

[Ladyhawk]

So, you think we should be at war with Pakistan instead?

Naw....I think we should invade countries under the guise that they're a threat, find some reason to justify our existence there and then completely ignore those who truly pose a threat to American security....

....oh, wait...we're already doing that....

 

[clk]

And best of all? Osama Bin Laden is still wandering around cutting new videos every other month. You remember Osama, right? The guy who was actually responsible for 9/11?

No, I don't recall this 'Osama' fellow you are referring to. Oh wait....'Osama' must be that fellow that Bush said he was not concerned about, right?

Yup, sure enough:

Bush: "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
3/13/02

Bin Laden never attacked the US...Saddam did.

Anyways, I suspect that geni is correct. There is more than enough oil in Iraq to pay for the costs that have been incurred. You really didn't think Bush invaded Iraq out of the goodness of his heart, did you?

 

[fishbob]

Corplinx:

Ding ding ding, you win the thread! First person to accuse someone else of being a mere apologist!

Don't feel bad, many of the other posters seem to be using this tactic lately.

Does my pointing out someone being an apologist somehow make them less of an apologist? Nope. That makes no sense.

What this means is that you are apologizing for an apologist. So I win twice.