THE COST OF WAR
More than a Half-Trillion
Dollars — And Climbing
The dollar amount is staggering.
The human toll is far worse.
And the costs keep rising.
A new online presentation by USLAW examines the political, social and economic costs of the Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and U.S. military spending.
The Toll on
Human Life
US Military – Since March 2003,
The number of wounded ranges from 23,000 to 100,000.
Coalition Troops – More than 300 coalition troops have been killed.
Iraqi Citizens – The actual number of Iraqi lives lost is not known. The Bush Administration set the number at 30,000 when it stopped counting in December 2005. A respected British research firm reported in August 2007 that more than 1,000,000 Iraqi citizens have died (see the note on sources, below).
Iraqi Wounded: No organization tries to count the wounded.
SOURCES:
U.S. and coalition mortality figures vary slightly, but are not generally disputed; they are provided by the military, media and other sources.
The number soldiers counted as wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan is in dispute. Non-combat injuries and those who develop psychological problems, for example, are not counted.
Iraqi casualty figures are yet another story. A good overview of the various efforts to document Iraqi deaths can be found in the Wikipedia article "Casualties of the Iraq War."
The Real Price of the Iraq Occupation, the "War on Terror" and Military Spending, a presentation by U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), examines what the Iraq War and U.S. Military Spending are costing us — now and for the future.
The $137 billion spent last year alone could have:
• hired two million elementary school teachers;
• provided 22 million college scholarships, or;
• provided healthcare for 58 million children.
Instead, with poverty on the rise, federal programs have been cut and cut-back. Many states and municipalities are facing budget shortfalls. Constitutional liberties have been abridged and guaranteed rights undermined.
Counting interest payments, veterans care, and replacement equipment, the long-term cost of the war so far exceeds one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000).
This information — and more — is covered in the USLAW slide show. Watch it online — it takes ten minutes.
What Can You Do?
USLAW has an ambitious program for 2008, which includes demanding clearly stated positions on Iraq from candidates as part of the 2008 Elections, building international Solidarity, linking labor and human rights, increasing pressure on Congress to redirect our national priorities and building opposition to militarism. Read the program in pdf format or at the USLAW website.
• Join or contribute to U.S. Labor Against the War. You can download an application form in pdf format or join/contribute online at USLAW.
• Urge your union to affiliate with USLAW. Download an affiliation form in pdf format or read more about affiliating at USLAW.
More Information
STARTING POINTS
• UE policy: "Bring the Troops Home, End the Occupation Now,"adopted by the 70th National UE Convention
• Wikipedia's entry on the Iraq War provides access to an impressive number of materials.
• Wikipedia's coverage includes an Iraq War portal.
• Hundreds of websites about the Iraq war and the issues raised here can be found by any search engine.
MORE ON THE COST OF WAR
• Video by The American Friends Service Committee