Jaded Sage:

Posted by The Jaded Sage

   The cost of the Iraq War has been unprecedented for a conflict of its scale. According to the Democratic Staff of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, the war has cost over $1 trillion. This amounts to over $20,000 for a family of four. By the time Bush leaves office the war in Iraq will have cost the US taxpayers more than the Vietnam and Korean Wars combined. The most significant effects of the war are not monetary. 3,876 soldiers have died in the land of Babylon and over 28,000 soldiers have been wounded.  Nearly 13,000 of those were not returned to duty. The stories of those who have been grievously injured mainly due to close impact weapons in the form of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are numerous.

   In economics there is a concept known as opportunity cost. The general idea of an opportunity cost is if you spend your money on product ‘A’ what products are you then not able to buy since you purchased product ‘A’. We have seen this played out numerous times since the Iraq War began. Since we are spending so much money in Iraq and Afghanistan, what could we have done with that money? Democrats would like to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina, create a state run health care system, or heal the Social Security system. Republicans either don’t question the value of the war or would prefer to pay off the national debt, depending on who you talk to. One thing is obvious, we are not getting good value for our money.

   Through the spring of 2007 the war in Iraq was run as poorly as any in our history. Those deserving blame are as abundant as Donald Rumsfeld’s snowflakes. From the CIA’s Curveball to Cheney’s fear mongering. From the Democrat’s Congressional vote to Powell’s vial. From Rumsfeld’s false optimism to Bremer’s debathification policy. Through it all was the poor leadership of the Commander in Chief and the Democrats’ inability to present a strong candidate that could defeat such a weak incumbent in 2004.

   In the spring of 2007 there emerged a unique general who has changed the dynamic of the Iraq war. General Petraeus is everything Bush isn’t but he may end up being Bush’s savior. Petraeus is by all accounts one of the most intelligent military minds to bless the Army in some time. He received his doctoral degree with a paper entitled "The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam". Prior to being named commanding general of MNF-I (Multinational Forces- Iraq) he co-authored the field manual for counterinsurgency. Despite all the comparisons to the Vietnam conflict, the man who may make the most positive impact knows all about counterinsurgencies.  Our failings in Vietnam may end up being our lesson learned in Iraq.

Up until recently, this war did not deserve supporting. Those who led it in Washington and those who initiated strategy in Iraq were drowning in incompetence. The chief architects of this war are gone. Donald Rumsfeld has faded into the dustbin of history along with a vast array of neo-cons. Vice President Cheney has become a silent partner. His role has been filled by moderates such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Diplomacy, that evil word in Bush policies past, has emerged. We know President Bush is a slow learner but in the twilight of his administration it seems the strategy of international relations and conflict management have begun to be understood. It is clear there are significant gains in Iraq and as a liberal one cannot turn their back on a people who have suffered mightily from the rule of a tyrant and the chaos of over four years of war. Whatever you may have felt about the war prior, it is now time to forget the notion of an immediate US pullout. As a liberal, if you damned the Chinese in Tibet or the Sudanese government in Darfur, it is your obligation to support the Iraqis now that progress can finally be measured. The strategy of the surge is to buy the Iraqi government time. That time is now ticking. If they are unable to take advantage of the improved situation on the ground, then it is time to leave. For those that have suffered most, the families of the soldiers and the Iraqis themselves, don’t equate a failure in Iraq as a victory for the left. A failure in Iraq is much more significant than an "I told you so" moment. Failure in Iraq is a tragedy for the Iraqis.