Deep Inside My Thoughts

As some of you already may know, the current war in Iraq has lasted longer than World War 2.  However, warfare in 2007 feels a lot different on the home front than the national mobilization that occurred back in 1942.  During WW2, ordinary citizens were told they could make a difference, and because of that, they saved grease and fat to make explosives, and rallied around War Bonds to fund and continue the war against Nazi Germany.  They were told to be constantly aware of German spies, to conserve fuel and rubber, and do anything at all possible to support the troops.   Grandparents wouldn’t buy new shoes, so their grandchildren could use their ration cards to buy shoes to replace their rapidly growing feet.

But in 2007, there is no rationing, nor is there any selling of war bonds.  The entire cost of this war is being financed on credit, requiring the United States to borrow cash from foreign banks and governments.   We are damning ourselves into debt to pay for an escalating war that needs roughly 275 million dollars each day to continue.  Compare this number to the entire operating budget of the Department of Justice which in fiscal year 2008 will be allotted an estimated meager 66 million per day to provide for all justice related services for the country.

Is 66 million dollars enough to provide the level of service we expect from the justice department?  How many quasi-illegal acts has this administration committed in its six years in office?  How many ‘gates have we seen come and go?  Just in this last month we have seen the termination of eight US Attorneys, the inability to find 5 million White House emails, and prior to this month, we saw an aide to the Vice President convicted for obstruction of justice.   It seems there’s a massive amount of wrong doing going around Washington these days, and I’m sure the Justice Department could use a few more million to do their jobs more effectively. 

But the problem with Iraq isn’t just with the money.  It’s in our mindset.  Yes, wars do cost large amounts of money to wage, and for that investment, we expect a prompt return.   When we invaded Iraq back in 2003 we were promised that Sadam was harboring terrorism, and preparing to wage some future agenda against US interests.  But, we were lied to.  In Iraq, after liberating it from the tyranny of Sadam, we awoke a nest of hornets.   It’s eerily similar to some of the old tales you’d hear about asymmetrical warfare in Vietnam, with regards to the extents our enemies will go to kill and maim our soldiers.   Charlie used punji sticks smeared with excrement to puncture a soldier’s boot and infect the wound.   That would get that single soldier off of the line, and if he was lucky, he’d keep his foot too. 

Back in Iraq, it’s the ‘terrorists’ IED that kills and wounds our servicemen and women.  It’s as indiscriminate as the jungle traps, but far more deadly.   But do we know who the terrorists are?  Are they the ones we’re fighting for, or against?  Every week on the BBC World Service, I hear about how militiamen wearing the uniforms of Iraqi Police stormed in and killed x-amount of men and etcetera.   The situation over there has dissolved into a low-scale civil war, with various factions attacking each other, and all in the name of God.  Meanwhile, we’re stuck in the crossfire and paralyzed with insurmountable odds and confused goals. 

If we are to win in Iraq, we simply need more soldiers than we have available currently.  For example, back in WW2, we had nearly 100 active divisions, split between Japan and Europe.  During World War 2, President Roosevelt set a limit of 8.2 million active soldiers.  Using the census from 1940 we can see that the population was estimated to be 132 million, leaving us with an estimated 15% of the country actively engaged in war.   Currently we have about 1.2 million active duty and National Guard troops split between ten divisions.  Given the fact that the US just recently passed its 300^th citizen, we can surmise that only .4% of the country is involved on the ground in this war.  If we add in the Marines, Air Force, and Navy, we can barely approach 1% of the country being on the ground in this war.

It’s this fact that makes the home front feeling of 2007 different from 1942.  Less of our citizens are involved, and those who are serving traditionally come from poorer families, where multiple siblings might be serving at once.   Because of this, I believe there that’s the reason there seems to be less mobilization and action back in the States.  Sadly, some feel that it isn’t their brothers or sisters fighting over there, and turn a blind eye and continue about their business.

But the fact that this epic struggle against terrorism is an after thought to most people doesn’t change anything.  I believe this war is a lost cause.  But like many, I support the troops, especially when I believe it’s in our national interests to cut our losses, pull out, and see what happens in the region.   I believe we’ve stretched our forces far too thin, and are engaged in my generations Vietnam War.  There might be a way to ‘win’ Iraq, but it seems it is hidden from the eyes of the United States.   The future of Iraq, it seems, is just a quagmire to slowly sink our efforts in the region.

I was shocked when I realized how long this has gone on.   I was even more shocked when I compared the ratio of military to civilian and discovered such a stark contrast between Iraq and World War 2.  The money being used to wage this war could be better spent other places, perhaps even encouraging peace initiatives.  and what not, if not going to better education or fighting internal corruption.  Iraq is the wool this Presidential administration has pulled down over the eyes of the country, and without an invasion that happened nearly four years ago, I do believe the world would be a very different place.

Just imagine for a minute, the effect that a simply larger budget would have.  Imagine all the kids we could teach better, the corruption we could weed out, and the environment we could clean up using these billions upon billions of dollars spent.   But instead of bettering society, we have chosen the opposite, and have sent our youngest to the desert to fight.  But, alas, as my high school economics teacher liked to say, you can have butter or guns, not both.  And that’s even truer now.

So the question begs to be asked, what will we have in a year; more butter, or more guns?  I suppose we’ll have to sit back and see.