edgarblythe wrote: Why not just give each person over there a mule, a plow, and fifty thousand dollars each. It would be cheaper and less messy.
Edgar, you have an idea there.
Iraq had a population of
24 million before the war began. 40% of it is under 15 years old, so we have 14.4 million Iraqis over 15 years old to pay off. At $50,000 each that's 720 billion dollars.
We spend what-90 billion over there a year? That payoff would equal 8 years of war at the present spending rate, plus we've already been there almost four years so that's four more years of war before the payoff becomes cheaper.
Does anyone think that we could win this thing in four years the way it's going over there? Didn't think so. So really, the payoff idea is the best way out.
Not to mention, we could sweeten the deal by requiring that a certain percentage of it would have to be spent on US made products. This could save the American car industry and help out the balance of payments at the same time. We could also shut up the human rights critics by raising the standard of living of the average Iraqi way, way beyond what they ever had.
Sounds like a platform to me. Let's do it.