What would you do with $1 million?

[LynnTheDem]

Every adult American citizen could have been a millionaire.

Before the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration told the American people that it could be fought on the cheap. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said "We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon."<1>

Budget Director Mitch Daniels said Iraq will be "an affordable endeavor,"<2> "that will not require sustained aid"<3> and cost "in the range of $50 billion to $60 billion."<4>

Defense Policy Board Member Richard Perle said, "Iraq is a very wealthy country...They can finance, largely finance, the reconstruction of their own country."<5>

They were all wrong.

The Washington Post reports "the Bush administration intends to seek about $70 billion in emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan early next year, pushing total war costs close to $225 billion since the invasion of Iraq early last year."<6>

Sources:

1. "Dems charge 'bait and switch' on Iraq," UPI, 10/03/03, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65222.
2. Ibid, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65222.
3. "U.S. says oil in Iraq to pay for rebuilding," Washington Post, 3/28/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65223.
4. "Estimated cost of Iraq war reduced," New York Times, 12/31/02, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65224.
5. "Saddam's Ultimate Solution," PBS, 07/11/02, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65225.
6. "Increase in War Funding Sought," Washington Post, 10/26/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1163580&l=65226.

[nickinSTL]

1. Hmm, bad math (edited)

If it's $225 billion - only 225 people could have been billionaires.

(edited for my own bad math, as well)

[AndyP]

3. Yup but if I had a million bucks

I'd buy a car with wings and fly away!!!


But If I did get a billion dollars, well I'd buy me a few senators!! :)

[LynnTheDem]

4. bad math yep, LOL!

Edited to millionaire.

And we STILL woulda had money left over.

[CarolynEC]

2. Wow. Great post. A billion bucks apiece, huh?

That really puts it into perspective. And makes the measly few hundred buck Bush crows about seem pretty pathetic.

[Killarney]

5. that would be one thousand bucks per person in the US