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Daily I read, hear and see the staggering statistics about the war in Iraq.
Now it is a war longer than World War II. The tragedy and heartbreak of the loss of life and the disabling injuries are immeasurable and beyond our limited human comprehension to absorb.
Spending has topped $450 billion dollars; $450 billion! How many zeroes are there in that number? Who can possibly conceive of such a figure?
Surely, all our congressional representatives can see beyond the mendacity of the administration’s spin to be able to devise some exit policy that will stanch the flow of blood and resources.
It is high time to allow those resources to concentrate on such worthwhile missions as rebuilding New Orleans — still a wasteland after almost two years — as well as assuring the continuation of Social Security.
We all reel at the waste, injustice and horror of this dark age, the age of the war in Iraq.

Don Perl, Greeley

READER COMMENTS

How dramatic ..." the dark age". Colorful and imaginary. Whos to blamne for New Orleans still being a mess? Well Bush is not the answer. A very corrupt Mayor and lack of any consideration from the Louisianna government. These are the ones to blame for that mess. It was not the hurricane that caused that mess but years of ignoring the levis that did. It was three days afterwards that the city flooded. A full three days later. A corrupt police force and fire dept that made matters worse by creating more damage.

Now you compare WWII to the war on terrorism. Claiming that its bad for the economy and to many military personel are getting hurt.

It is a good thing these attitudes were not around in WWII. Over 10000 people Allies killed on the beaches of Mormandy in one single day. The atrocities committed by the Germans in the battle of the buldge. The Japanese death and slave labor camps. Stalins systematic murder of 40 million Jews, Gypsys and political opponets.

Oh but hey America is the bad guy always in the eyes of the Bush haters and the MSM. The other side of the story does not nedd to be applied.

hey don if you want to point fingers on social security look no farther than your party of liberals. In 98 clinton had the best idea ever and that was to make SS just like the government employees retirement plan, and that included adding private accounts to invest part of your money. in 98 all of the top liberal left dems cheered and said it was about time. it was time for them to act but as usuall they did what they do best and did nothing. Bush comes along and brings up clintons idea and is booed by the ones who cheered in 98. even your hero teddy told everyone on Mary Jo's 65 birthday, had she been alive she would be fine on SS. [he did forget she died in his car as he walked away]
As for all of the death you need to look at the deaths on the streets and in cities here and you will find out that it is saver in Iraq.

as for New Orleans please go to see the man who is in charge there as the mayor. his non action was the cause of the mess and it is still in his court to fix it and not the federal governmet, unless you are a Bush hater.

I would let the troops stay in Iraq another ten years before I put the money into rebuilding New Orleans. Didn't the American tax payer already get fleeced enough over that one.

As one against this invasion, you would think I would be pushing for a quick exit. Yet, I wonder if it would be as immoral as the invasion itself. We invaded that country, with little internal opposition. Though the Bush government pushed it, the fact is that all aspects of our country (government and the people) overwhelmingly supported it. We created a major mess, and the right thing is to do what we can to clean it up.
Perhaps we should be less inclined to focus on the exit plan and more on our blind faith in entering a conflict. How many supporters of this invasion went simply on the rhetoric of the media and government rather than take the time to look--really look--at the facts. The information was there that should have raised more than a few eyebrows and caused them not to be so determined to blindly follow the leader--and since we love to bring up WWII, as the German people did with Hitler.
Had we bothered to educate ourselves a bit, we would have found that Saddam was no threat to anyone. He had little indigenous weapons manufacturing programs (most were imported, with the exception of a few battle tanks). With all his military might, he could barely control the Kurdish population. He is even supposed to have fired (daily as some claim) missiles at our aircraft, though none were hit.
This shouldn't surprise us though; per the CIA, on the last year Saddam was in office, his military budget was approximately $4Billion (vs. our 1/4 trillion at that time). If this man could truly threaten us or anyone on a budget like that, we should have brought him here and put him to work in our defense department.
As a people, we have the responsibility to educate ourselves and speak out--whether you oppose OR support--but we don't do that. I was involved in a war protest a few years ago in the Springs. There were hundreds of us and TWO opposing. This is in a town where the Air Force Academy and Ft Carson reside, and is felt to be very conservative. Two people voicing their support. One had written that people should have better things to do. What is better than getting off your butt and showing your opposition or support? Strange idea of patriotism.
It shouldn't be easy to be an American. Where many countries are fighting for their rights, we should be exercising our responsibilities as citizens in all aspects of our government. Now that might mean turning the ole tube off and actually reading something educational, but I know we can do it. I also know that by doing so, your stand on any issue (war?) will be much stronger. The downside is that if history comes back and says that the war you supported was wrong (Iraq?) you wouldn't be able to blame anyone else but yourself.

According to these Bushies it's all the Mayor of New Orleans fault. Other than that no mistakes have been made and $450Billion has been well spent. No WMD'S but who cares?

Statistics are all lies, manufactured by liberal Democrats -- and so are facts.

Don't believe it. I'm doing a great job. I'm the decider, and that is my final answer.

Don, check out the statistics at Normandy! This war has been over for a long time; by all previous definitions of war victory. It took us a long time to win the peace in Europe, and will take longer in Iraq. We have to be PC regardless of lives lost and cost. Whether or not you support(ed) this war or have been against it, we have to secure the peace. I believe that Arabs can live in a democracy. If we abandon them now, it is wasting lives and dooming Iraq to a theocracy. Sun-tzu said to leave the war to the generals. The politians have gummed this one up.

Poor Don...worried about the cost of the war in Iraq, Don--9/11 cost this country an estimated $1 Trillion....talk about zeroes! In WW II, our enemies dressed the same and lived in a couple countries. The only way to threaten Muslim extremists is to destroy Mecca (not politically correct, of course). If you haven't noticed Don, we still have troops in Japan, Germany, and Italy 60 years after WW II. We have troops in S. Korea 50 years after that war. Clinton sent the US to the Balkans for 6 months...19 years later, we're still there. How much blood was lost to secure those 'occupations' and how much money have we spent in those places since? New Orleans was a wasteland before Katrina...with our tax dollars, they want to rebuild in the swamp. Finally, there ain't enough money in the world to make the current Social Security System sustainable. Stupid is as stupid does.

I think ole Buff Driver just hit it on the head...destroy Mecca. Congressman Tangredo had a similar idea. There are over 1 billion souls who are muslim and the proposal on the table is to destroy their most holy site for the actions of, what(?) one percent of one percent?
I can hear the echo of pre-WWII Germany. Only instead of Muslims, it was the Jews. You guys are right! There is a similarity between today and WWII.
Makes you wonder if Mr. Driver is in the minority or the majority. Especially since we have a congressman who had similar comments.
As far as New Orleans goes, it may have been a wasteland, but it is our wasteland. Last time I looked, it was within the borders of this nation, meaning they too have given up their children in times of war and even their tax dollars. You really can't make that claim with places like Iraq.

How can anyone of reasonable intellegence compare the plight of the Muslim to that of the Jew? Look at Muslim rule in their countrys.(Kings in 2007) That is how they would rule us. No other faith is allowed! In Africa, Islam terrorizes all faiths. Millions have been persicuted unto death. The Koran states it is good to kill an infidel (non-muslim). They teach this in their schools. 1%! Poppycock, open your eyes and pay attention. Better yet, read "The Haj" by Leon Uris. It will help understand Arab culture. (An expert refered this to me years ago) I would like to live and let live, if they would do the same. War is bad mmmkay. This we agree upon. But it is a terrible reality in the world. By the way, New Orleans is sinking into the gulf. It has been for years. I heard there are about 50 more until it starts disappearing. Great city, limited future.

Actual dollars wasted on Iraq but spent to create human misery on a gargantuan scale approach eight hundred billion dollars and if the war ended to day, I read that the cost will exceed two trillion dollars.

Find one thousand million in one billion; find one thousand billion in one trillion. If Bush's bushwhacking does not sink America: The cost of Bush's administration is unfathomable.

Let America's Taliban, Christianity fathom; they had the brains to vote for him or lacked the brains since Christians don't use their brains: They simply embrace tribal fireside chats from thousands of years ago when wheelbarrows were high tech and Intelligent Design created a flat earth about the sze of Denver Colorado and the sun was in motion until Joshua intervened.

Deicide Corner: I'm intelligent enough to be an atheist but lack the courage, so I opt for Deicide: Slayer of gods as opposed to the Decider, slayer of humanity. Well, kill off the humans and the elk can survive.

Tom,
You have a good point on Muslims rule (ie, kings in 2007). We can forego any discussions at this time of Kings AND Queens in the Christian world (Spain, England, Netherlands, etc).
As for killing the infidel, there are several good links you might go to and learn about Islam, for example http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/uiatm/un_islam.htm. There are others that explain what the faith is about. Take a look and you may find a few surprises and possible change of view.
I've had the pleasure of having several aquitances over the years who are Muslim. They believe strongly in their faith, with each having a strong acceptance of other faiths. I'm not trying to change anyones views, but at least find a few sites established to educate and do some reading. You may be surprised to find they are not the boogeyman any more than Christians are because of any atrocities they have committed over the years. And there are many. Many good things too, on both sides.

Larkspur and Tom: Forget the sites, read the Koran. I have. Larkspur is correct, however, in that the faith.. not the one pounded down the American tv-watchers' throats... but the actual koran, doesn't say half the things that you have been told to believe it says. It is a peaceful book, and it doesn't say ANYWHERE in there that you should 'kill' a non- muslim. Sorry, but you didn't read that in the Koran. Anyway, the levies were ignored by Bush. He insisted on taking the engineers off that project to get them to focus energy on the mess he created in Iraq. Let's impeach the ba$tard

Larkspur and Tom: Forget the sites, read the Koran. I have. Larkspur is correct, however, in that the faith.. not the one pounded down the American tv-watchers' throats... but the actual koran, doesn't say half the things that you have been told to believe it says. It is a peaceful book, and it doesn't say ANYWHERE in there that you should 'kill' a non- muslim. Sorry, but you didn't read that in the Koran. Anyway, the levies were ignored by Bush. He insisted on taking the engineers off that project to get them to focus energy on the mess he created in Iraq. Let's impeach the ba$tard

Good letter Don. Thanks.

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