We have been discussing the trillions of dollars spent on Iraq and Afghanistan while we cut environmental, scientific, and educational programs on the state and federal levels. Now, we are only a couple of weeks into the newest war against Islamic State but we have already spent an estimated $1.1 billion. Of course, President Obama has stated that he does not require any congressional approval for the war, which has been described by his Administration as having an indefinite duration. In the meantime, our latest war has been a bonanza for weapons manufacturers, including a $251 million deal to buy more Tomahawks from Raytheon Co after we unloaded on the Islamic State.
While it has certainly helped domestically as a political matter, the air campaign does not appear to have made much a difference as a military matter. The Islamic State has continued to gain ground against opposing forces. In the meantime, we are using enormously expensive missiles like the Tomahawk which cost more than $1.5 million each. We unloaded almost 50 Tomahawks and other missiles at a cost of $62 million alone. The sight of such missiles taking out our own Humvees and relatively small targets leaves many scratching their heads about the logic of the campaign.
The cost currently is estimated at about $10 million a day. Of course, my children are going to classes with 35-40 kids in a class because Fairfax cannot hire more teachers and our bridges are increasingly being found to be dangerous for lack of repairs. However, like a MasterCard commercial, the political value of news images of buildings or Humvees exploding is priceless during an election year.
Source: Yahoo
Calling someone a “Dick” is uncivil. However, unlike the perpetually offended who cry wolf all the time, I am trying to engage the uncivil person and resolve this. Jumping in w/ a new alias shows an agenda. JT is away and the malcontents are trying to hijack. Lovely. Just, lovely. Paulette likes to hit and run so I am not betting on a reply. But, I am hoping this can be resolved like civil adults. I see NOTHING I said in reply to paulette regarding Churchill being anything close to being a Dick. Unless being correct is the new definition of being a Dick.
But Nick, weren’t you or aren’t you currently a “private” Dick? 😉
Paulette, quite insightful…for a “blond”.
Hitler’s plan was to rule the rule and cleanse ethnically. ISIS plans to rule the world and cleanse religiously. They were/are both quite candid in their objectives. They were not coy or obtuse. And, they were/are both insanely ruthless. Seems pretty freakin’ similar to me.
paulette, I challenge your comment w/ historical facts and I’m a Dick? WTF?
Docmadison,
The electorate has proven unworthy of principled governance. Congress is by and large not dealing with voters that would recognize doing “the right thing” because their political opponents would make every effort to convince them what was done is “the “wrong thing”. And it’s effective.
Is this what good governance is? Hell no. But it is what the ignorant, apathetic and dependent electorate has created. They outnumber the passionate percentage of the population that has principled expectations of what our government SHOULD be doing.
Nick ~ You appear to be a Dick.
The comparisons to Hitler are dangerous. He was a product of this time. All those European countries made him. In fact, the liberals great soothsayer Keynes tried to warn people what was coming. Looking over there today, can’t hardly say Great Britain was the ultimate winner. They have probably lost the most since 1914. They had an empire… then Led Zeppelin… now, they have… hmm. well???? I do like the new Jags I guess. Still take a German car first though.
If Congress gave a f**k about their responsibility to declare war they could take a little choo-choo or a big ol’ airplane and come back to Washington and take a vote.
But the bloody cowards prefer not to have to govern.
docmadison – your ad homenim attacks are noted.
And Marshal Zhukov had nothing to do with winning WWII. Americans LOVE history!
docmadison – many years back, the History Book Club published the Soviet High School version of WWII. You will be surprised to learn that the United States did not take part.
To compare ISIS to the Nazi war machine is like… well… you tell me??? That is ridiculous. And yes, Kurds want their own country? So what?? General Lee wanted his own country and I don’t think he got a warm response. There is no credible argument to be made over there. It’s just a blender of circumstances at this point. Whoever we support today we’ll be at war with tomorrow, you can bet your hat on that.
Eric,
I have no doubt you would be able to find a precedent and/or constitutional authority to support ANY Executive action; doing that however, does not address the underlying concern of unchecked executive prerogative. This CinC is exercising the authority you seem to believe he legally has with disastrous results. Philosophically, is this just the result of the wrong person with the right power or is this the wrong power….period?
What concerns would you have if the Executive were to seek a declaration of war by Congress?
I love it when the Great Kreskin lectures! I hang on every word. I mean, the ‘clue’ was so hidden! 1916. Who would ever ferret out that meant it was WWI? It’s so thrilling when we learn something new, here on the Turley Blog.
If you continue to vote for either wing of the Property Party, then you have only yourself to blame for the inevitable results – millions more illegals, more poverty, more tax cuts for rich people like the Obamas and Clintons, more calls for cuts in education, SS, Medicare, Medicaid etc.
Next time, vote for a party that represents ALL of us. Like the Green Party.
bill mcwilliams – the Green Party cannot get enough signatures to get on the ballot in Arizona.
ISIS fighters don’t like the sound of this jet, the B-1 Lancer. It’s worth every penny! The Kurds on Turkey border watched Kobane ISIS fighters get hammered by just one B-1B bomber.
Someone on the ground was calling in targets, and JDAM bombs were dropped.
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IS (Islamic State… Add whatever suffix you want), considers itself a “Caliphate”, a sovereign country in essence – though no country in the world to my knowledge recognizes them.
As such the can be on the receiving end of a Declaration of War, couldn’t they?
How do we define a terrorist organization or a threat to the United States? Because if all we have to do to attack any entity or country irrespective of territorial boundaries is to have the State Department declare them a terrorist organization that seems like an awfully convenient shortcut for a lot of things.
Can we do that for the Russian backed separatists in Ukraine as well? Because we actually made promises to keep Ukraine secure when we talked them into giving up their nukes, but we apparently can’t even ship them over weapons to help them fight for themselves and unlike Syria – we know who is who there.
Wrxdave, I retrieved your comment at 10:35.
Blond people don’t care about saving humanity?
Churchill was the Sec. of War in the Great War. He was the PM for WW2. You appear to be blonde, paulette. So, for you, defeating Hitler maybe isn’t as important as it was for us dark haired, olive skin, folks. All Churchill did was save the world from the most evil man to walk this earth.
That would be The Great War, paulette.