So far it is costing the USA approximately US$4.8bn each month they remain in Iraq. And there is no doubt that the physical, mental and cultural cost to the Iraqi people (not to mention the international contingent of military, civil staff and volunteers) is far greater with in excess of 100,000 lives lost, and growing on a daily basis.
Now the Bush administration is seeking to ask Congress for an appropiation of a further $80bn to keep the invasion and crusade going. The BBC reports that the total cost for Afghanistan and Iraq is now edging towards $300bn in only 3 years.
Even more shocking is that the Pentagon's annual budget (excluding the two wars) stands at $400bn and looks set to put the Bush administration into catastrophic meltdown with an ongoing deficit of $500bn annually.
Meanwhile southern Asia continues to struggle to rebuild from the tsunami that killed in excess of 200,000 citizens and tourists and will cost a mere $20bn (1/15th of the cost of the ongoing and futile war against terror), to restore the necessary infrastructure to these nations and herald a bright new future for the orphaned, homeless, jobless, lonely, starving, ill and distressed citizens.
Is it just me, or are the USA priorities so wrong when they can justify spending 15 times as much money destroying precious lives under the guise of peace and liberty, rather than allocate a fraction of the cost to improve the lives of those hit by the worst natural tragedy of our generation?
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