On Sunday, September 7, president George W. Bush asked America for $87 billion. Is he serious? Since his reign as idiot supreme of the White House, Bush has run up a national debt of $1.8 trillion. $1.8 trillion!
Bush made it crystal clear that he has no idea what the real cost of reconstructing Iraq is going to cost.
For all the talk about economic reconstruction in Iraq, it is estimated that $67 billion of this ridiculous fee is going towards the military. Every year, even during times of peace, the military receives billions of dollars of our taxes.
In my reckoning, they should have more than enough to get them through two or three years in Iraq.
Who does Bush expect to pick up the tab for this exorbitant bill?
In spring, the Bush administration told Congress that they expected the revenues from Iraqi oil to pay for a majority of the reconstruction effort. But just like the debtor who swears he’s going to pay up when he gets his first pay check, Bush indicates no intention of using the money he will make from Iraq’s extensive oil fields to lessen his nation’s monetary load.
Bush also expects our “friends” in foreign nations to aid in a large portion of this $87 billion. Are these the same friends that held countrywide protests against Bush’s attack on Iraq? These are the people we have asked to lend us $42.7 billion?
A long time ago Bush made the decision to ignore the dissent of every country considered an American ally.
Now faced with a bill that surpasses any amount ever needed for any post-war effort, Bush has to ask for help from countries who didn’t support the war and still don’t support our occupation of Iraq.
Even if our European allies do agree to help us with half of our tab, please believe that the majority of these billions will come from, yes, you guessed it, our taxes.
No matter how many tax cuts the Bush administration proposes or how many counter bills the Democrats offer, the outcome will be the same; higher taxes for everyone for a long time.
As a concerned citizen that believes with all her heart that our troops need to be pulled out of Iraq as soon as possible, I implore America to remember the tragedy that was the Vietnam War.
The only way to stop a president from carrying out expensive, renegade missions is to cut off his funds. President Bush can’t do anything without this $87 billion.
But if we do nothing to stop him he will amass a debt that our grandchildren’s children will have to pay.
No one deserves a burden that heavy.
Marie K. Frasier, 20, is a junior English education student from Columbus, Oh. She is the Opinions Editor and she can be reached at famuanopinions@hotmail.com. Marie’s column will run in every Friday issue.