80 billion is a lot of $$$$...

[FFutch]

... to be giving away. That's BILLION with a B. A loan is not so bad,but just giving it to Iraq... . Who's to say they don't get another D##khead in there who say's"What money?"... . Doug

 

[Hammer]

And I was about to post your pic on a milk carton for being M. I. A. there ol "Dealin Doug" and you Pop in with a post... LOL... . Andy

 

[FFutch]

No milk carton pic needed

Hey Andy,Sorry I missed Fall Brawl. With all this storm trouble I've been working alot of overtime,and have been on stand-by. I'm the only wrench turner up here in "the sticks" . Looks like I missed a great time. Hopefully I can attend the next gathering. Back on topic. It was "only" 20 billion for now . I think the money could sure be used better over here,but what do I know. Friggin' politicians. Maybe we need another non-politician like Ah-nold for pres... . Doug

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

$80B is a lot of mula but in the scope of our entire economy it's not that much. Rebuilding Iraq is a big job and not going to be cheap. You can't just walk away from it and leave Iraq in the state it's in. If you take a lot at history and how much it cost and how long it took to get Japan and Germany back on its feet (several years and a lot more $$) after WW2 it puts this into perspective.



If we "budget" the rebuilding of Iraq and just trickle money in then all you do is string along our occupation and endanger our troops even more. As unpopular as it may seem throwing a lot of money at it is the best answer. I can see how this would be viewed as wasteful spending in the eyes of those who didn't feel this war was justified in the first place (not to imply you didn't support it in the first place though ).



Vaughn

 

[TxDieselKid]

$80B... and yet children will go hungry today here in America.

 

[illflem]

$80B is a lot but it has to be done we can't leave a mess or the place will become a terrorist nest.

Maybe we'll learn from our mistake before we go invading another country.



What's bugging me though is that it seems to be a free for all for US contractors there. With unemployment at 60% in Iraq it seems they should be getting more of the jobs to rebuild their country and economy.



Halliburton is getting paid $1. 50/ga for gasoline hauled into Iraq from Kuwait, later sold for 15¢/ga to Iraqis. Iraqi contractors said they would be more than happy to do it for 50¢/ga.



Halliburton, was awarded a $5M contract to rebuild a bridge damaged by US bombing, Iraqi company bid $300k for the same job and was turned down.



The company training Iraqi police officers is charging taxpayers $20,000 per month wages for one instructor.



The list goes on and on...

 

[JPope]

Halliburton

But Dick Cheney has to protect his interests/investments/buddies interests & investments, or he may end up with diminished funds and measly retirement, and live like the rest of us!!!!!!!!

 

[Shovelhead]

There is another "Contractor" who will make many more $$$$$ from the rebuilding.



It's made up of retired high ranking military officers who started their own company to "manage" defense projects.



Gee,..... I wonder how these guys are "lucky" enough to win all these multi-million $$$ defense projects ... .....

 

[15w40]

The news is saying that we need another 87 billion to pay for the Mideast fracas.

I was thinking; what would that cost me as a citizen of the US?



Performing a internet search on the US population I found:



The current US population is 292,015,754

Those people paying taxes, between the ages of 19 and 64: 51% or 148,928,034

The unemployed and disabled, illegal aliens, or lazy: assume 10% or 14,892,803



This leaves 134,036,131 tax paying Americans to foot the bill of $649. 08 each.

 

[Rams-n-Hogs]

This leaves 134,036,131 tax paying Americans to foot the bill of $649. 08 each.

Thanks for putting that into perspective 15w40. Now I'm wondering where the rest of my tax dollars are going. I'd gladly give the gov't $650 to cover this one, if I didn't have to pay for all the other BS my tax dollars must be going to. Which makes me wonder when they're going to send me an itemized list of the stuff I am actually paying for. Oh, that's right. They're the gov't. They don't need to be accountable to us taxpaying citizens. OOPS! Ok, I just jumped off my soap box.



Jim

 

[Sled Puller]

I ain't buyin half of what was spewed above.



But Iraq has oil that can be traded to us, for compensation, I'm sure.



OOOPS!!

We can't do that!

Know why?

because then the war would be about oil, right?





I still say, the whole world owes us a lot of cash from the past, pay up, or be bombed.

 

[illflem]

Originally posted by Sled Puller







I still say, the whole world owes us a lot of cash from the past, pay up, or be bombed.

Gene even the Mafia has more sense than that.

Dead men don't pay

 

[Sled Puller]

Shoot Bill, we won't bomb their banks.