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Aine Seitz McCarthy
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The Cost of War

8/31/2010

2 Comments

 
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Today marks the official closing of combat operations in Iraq. As one war finally draws to a close, let's recall the ultimate $3 trillion cost of these two wars that Stiglitz and Bilmes have pointed to. Of course, that's just the economic toll.

Here's a thought on the cost to humanity from Bob Herbert's recent op-ed in the NYT:

"One of the reasons we’re in this state of nonstop warfare is the fact that so few Americans have had any personal stake in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no draft and no direct financial hardship resulting from the wars. So we keep shipping other people’s children off to combat as if they were some sort of commodity, like coal or wheat, with no real regard for the terrible price so many have to pay, physically and psychologically.

Not only is this tragic, it is profoundly disrespectful. These are real men and women, courageous and mostly uncomplaining human beings, that we are sending into the war zones, and we owe them our most careful attention. Above all, we owe them an end to two wars that have gone on much too long."

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2 Comments
Keta McCarthy
9/3/2010 04:07:01 am

Yes, the New York Times article was accurate in that we do not always know the men and women who are sent ti war. This makes it impersonal and dehumanizes the conflicts. The current war is very different from the Vietnam conflict and the draft wherein we knew many of the soldiers and this did lead to demonstrations against the war.

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Andrew
10/11/2010 11:50:14 am

I recently re-watched this 2008 interview. I think it has a lot of insight:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08152008/watch.html
Andrew

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    Aine Seitz McCarthy

    International development, economics and some pretty ambitious ideas from a stubborn graduate student clinging to her sense of adventure.


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