$20,000 for each "liberated" Iraqi.
For some reason last night, the numbers started bothering me. What is the real cost in dollars of liberating Iraqis? (I'm going to leave aside the immeasurable human toll in this excercise.)
I'm going to use $440 billion as the cost of the Iraqi war as it is mathematically simple falls roughly in the midpoint of the administrations current lowball claim of something like $250 billion and the seemingly supportable broader $1 trillion number that's been floating around.
Using that number and the consensus guess of 22 million Iraqis, the equation looks like this.
$440,000,000,000 / 22,000,000 = $20,000 per "liberated" Iraqi.
Assuming that the Iraqis have actually been "liberated" and that not another dollar will need to be spent to ensure that they stay "liberated," does that sound like a good return on investment for either the US or Iraqi people?
I'm going to use $440 billion as the cost of the Iraqi war as it is mathematically simple falls roughly in the midpoint of the administrations current lowball claim of something like $250 billion and the seemingly supportable broader $1 trillion number that's been floating around.
Using that number and the consensus guess of 22 million Iraqis, the equation looks like this.
$440,000,000,000 / 22,000,000 = $20,000 per "liberated" Iraqi.
Assuming that the Iraqis have actually been "liberated" and that not another dollar will need to be spent to ensure that they stay "liberated," does that sound like a good return on investment for either the US or Iraqi people?
posted by mikevotes at
3:59 PM
6 Comments:
I personally detest the materialist measure of social values. But seeing as that has become the standard I can only applaud your telling disclosure. If it's money that talks then keep shouting!
By
Cartledge, at 4:32 PM
It just seems that each Iraqi could've done so much more with $20,000 in a country where people are living on $600-$1,000 a year.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 6:02 PM
"people of Iraq, overthrow Saddam Hussein and create your own democracy and we'll give you 10,000 American dollars each."
By
Yukkione, at 6:33 AM
That's kinda what I was thinking, left. Or maybe offer Saddam a couple billion just to go away to a safe haven somewhere and then use the rest to build Iraq.
Or maybe, dear South African mercenary.....
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 6:56 AM
Australia tried the 'funelling cash' to Saddam route, though I don't think it was to urge him to move on. The Oil for Food Inquiry in Australia looks set to show the Prime minister knew about the kickbacks scheme by the country's monopoly wheat exporter.
But on Oil for Food, there is still the $9 bill unnacounted for, which was apparently grabbed by the US under the label of 'reparations'.
One way or another it looks like we are all out of pocket, including ordinary Iraqis, but I'm not sure whose pocket it all went in to.
By
Cartledge, at 2:29 PM
I did hear reports that Saddam and sons, shortly before the war were trying to negotiate immunity through a third country(arab). They would leave Iraq and get to keep their money. I remember it being reported somewhere pretty credible (LATimes?) but with a very skeptical tone.
And, on the oil for food, the first American indicted for illegally trading Iraqi oil was a guy who runs an trading company here in Houston. I've actually played tennis with the guy. His front page arrest was the talk of the club.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:09 PM
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