Letter to the editor
Battle mentality
With all the emphasis on debt ceiling, spending, big government, taxes and job creation, there is precious little any of our focused-on-next-election politicians want to say about what the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing us. We are caught in this vicious vice of addiction to huge military might.
Ron Paul, in the recent Iowa pre-straw poll questioning of the array of Republican candidates for president, received the evenings loudest applause and cries of approval when he stated simply: “We ought to bring our troops home from Afghanistan immediately.”
Would you like to know a reliable estimate by the National Priorities Project of the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001? OK, here they are. And know that these are estimates because, as NPP states: “It is almost impossible to pin down exactly what the U.S. spends on wars, but rest assured it is staggering.”
The figures:
Iraq: 791,388,727,985.
Afghanistan: 444,549,379,564.
Total: 1,235,938,107,550.
Yes, that total is a ‘bit’ over 1.2 trillion.
My entire point is this: It is time for a change in national attitude toward what really is involved with security. Our nation, and many nations throughout the world have a most alarming addiction. It is the addiction to military might and war as an acceptable solution to things. Throughout history this has been the case to the point that this addiction has become a way of life and has infected the very thinking process of otherwise reasonable people. The U.S., unfortunately, because of its wealth and presumed No. 1 world power position, has chosen military might as its No. 1 deterrent to any rogue person, group, or nation.
In my opinion, If we continue down this road, we will ultimately learn what true security really is: Real and true security involves all nations reducing military power and enhancing the power of reason.
Being the world’s leader, which we are, it is up to us to take this leadership. It is my sincere hope we can do this. And this change in ‘battle mentality’ starts right at home for each of us.
Bob McClellan
Polson