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Editorial
The real cost to the US of the Iraq war is likely to be between $1 trillion and $2 trillion, up to 10 times more than previously thought, according to a report written by a Nobel prize-winning economist and a Harvard budget expert.
The study, which expanded on traditional estimates by including such costs as lifetime disability and healthcare for troops injured in the conflict as well as the impact on the American economy, concluded that the US government is continuing to underestimate the cost of the war.
The paper on the real cost of the war, written by Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor who won the Nobel prize for economics in 2001, and Linda Bilmes, a Harvard budget expert, is likely to add to the pressure on the White House on the war.
The unforeseen costs of the war have been blamed on poor planning and vision by the architects of the invasion. In a frank admission, Paul Bremer, the first US administrator of postwar Iraq, said the Americans did not anticipate the uprising that has persisted since flaring in 2004. "We really didn't see the insurgency coming," he told NBC television.
But in terms of the total cost of the war "there may have been alternative ways of spending a fraction of that amount that would have enhanced America's security more, and done a better job in winning the hearts and minds of those in the Middle East and promoting democracy".
Discussion Points: If you were the President of the United States, how would you handle the current situation given the financial implications of the war? How could the U.S. have better spent their resources to promote global peace and fight their "War on Terror"? In light of the Stiglitz / Bilmes Report, what immediate actions would you take to rectify the situation in Iraq? Is Iraq a "lost cause"? Should the U.S. "cut and run"? Tell the world your opinion as to how the U.S. could have better managed the war and their resources.
The study, which expanded on traditional estimates by including such costs as lifetime disability and healthcare for troops injured in the conflict as well as the impact on the American economy, concluded that the US government is continuing to underestimate the cost of the war.
The paper on the real cost of the war, written by Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor who won the Nobel prize for economics in 2001, and Linda Bilmes, a Harvard budget expert, is likely to add to the pressure on the White House on the war.
The unforeseen costs of the war have been blamed on poor planning and vision by the architects of the invasion. In a frank admission, Paul Bremer, the first US administrator of postwar Iraq, said the Americans did not anticipate the uprising that has persisted since flaring in 2004. "We really didn't see the insurgency coming," he told NBC television.
But in terms of the total cost of the war "there may have been alternative ways of spending a fraction of that amount that would have enhanced America's security more, and done a better job in winning the hearts and minds of those in the Middle East and promoting democracy".
Discussion Points: If you were the President of the United States, how would you handle the current situation given the financial implications of the war? How could the U.S. have better spent their resources to promote global peace and fight their "War on Terror"? In light of the Stiglitz / Bilmes Report, what immediate actions would you take to rectify the situation in Iraq? Is Iraq a "lost cause"? Should the U.S. "cut and run"? Tell the world your opinion as to how the U.S. could have better managed the war and their resources.
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“Introduce Yourself to the World.” is a trademark of Global Comrades, Inc. 2007-2008 © All rights reserved.
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“Introduce Yourself to the World.” is a trademark of Global Comrades, Inc. 2007-2008 © All rights reserved.
Developed and Managed by Konstant