The Cost of War
The cost of the war. Is it U.S. troops? Is it Iraqi troops? Is it Iraqi citizens? Is it dollar signs $$? What is the cost of the war in Iraq? According to an article in the Gulf Times Professor Oweiss, an economics teacher at Georgetown University-Qatar, says that
“The US-led war against Iraq has turned out to be the costliest war in the history of America. According to him, since 2003, 4,000 US soldiers and 1,200 members of Allied Forces have been killed in Iraq, while 60,000 US soldiers have been wounded with an additional 17,000 injured for the Allied Forces. The death toll is 800,000 for Iraqis.”
This represents the cost life. To most people the cost of life would be more significant than the cost of economic loss. Well this professor reiterated the point that the U.S. is spending a lot of money on the war. The figures are quite stunning.
Professor Oweiss said, “In 2003, the US was spending $93,000 per minute on the war in Iraq, which is $1 every 10 minutes. That has gone up to more than $317,000 every minute in 2008, resulting in a loss of $1 every three minutes.” Not matter how you look at it, the cost of the war is devastating “period”.
I don’t know what impacts the U.S. more, loss of life, or of dollars. I honestly can’t understand either. I have lost a classmate in the war but I don’t think I’ve lost any money. At least I can’t acknowledge or understand the loss of money in my personal life. The economic cost of the war hasn’t really impacted my life. I mean I’m still in college getting an education and have everything I need (plus some and some more).
As I read Testament of Youth I realized the impact that Roland’s death had on his family and Vera Brittian. Brittian doesn’t tell her story from an economics perspective. Her story is about life, death, and love. Brittian writes, “I never could have dreamed of the effect Roland’s death would have on me…and everything I loved and love, everything I lived for, worked, for, prayed for, seems to be slipping away…” The cost of war. What is the cost of war? To some it’s life. To some it is economics. I can’t tell you what it is because I haven’t felt the cost of war. I hope I don’t have to, but for those that have felt it, I pray for. Those who have felt the cost of life might not even recognize that there is any other cost…money. What is more important to humankind? Life or money? I think some of us would have to think about that more a moment. What do you value more? The impact war has it different for everyone. And how people live their lives may illustrate what impact the war has on themselves, their family, and their friends…The cost of war is it life…or is something else, like economics?
Iraq war is costliest in U.S. History
Gulf Times
February 6, 2008
April 6th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
It’s surprising to see the numbers of how much is being spent on the war in the Middle East right now. While I always figured it was expensive, I can’t remember seeing anything recently that actually put a number to the idea of how much money was being spent. Whenever the war is brought up, it seems like the focus is spent on how many lives have been lost during the course of the war. And while this is obviously the most important aspect of the war, it is also interesting to see how much money is being spent because of the war. Especially in times like these where the economy if faltering and many Americans are feeling the pinch of a poor economy, it’s surprising to see how much is being spent on a war.
April 6th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
You made an excellent point that there are two “costs” of war life and money and the question is which one do we value more. That is a question that the average citizen would have to stop and ponder however, ask someone that has lost a husband, a wife, a child, an uncle, an aunt, or a close friend in the war I think there answer would be obvious. There is no question that in the money aspect this war has not done anything positive for our economy and the amount of money spend everyday continues to grow. However, ask someone that has lost a loved one and see how worried they are about the economy. As a society do we value human life or the dollar more? Personally I could not answer this question no individual close to me has gone to the Middle East coming back in a body back or suffering horrible injuries but I can also say that the cost of the war has not affected me I am still attending college, driving a nice car, and have no concern about where my next meal is going to come from nor do I think that I ever will. You raise an excellent question which is valued more the dollar or life sadly this is a question I feel will never be answered.