More Lost Opportunity

The previous post mentions the lost opportunities for positive action with respect to costs of the war in Iraq. As tragic as it is it is not the whole story. It just talks about the billions requested and approved by Congress. The reality is that the true costs are much higher...nearly twice as high in reality. A recent survey by the Democrats in Congress puts the cost much higher.

From DKos

The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts' "hidden costs"-- including higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.

That amount is nearly double the $804 billion the White House has spent or requested to wage these wars through 2008, according to the Democratic staff of Congress's Joint Economic Committee. Its report, titled "The Hidden Costs of the Iraq War," estimates that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have thus far cost the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000.

Now harken back to 2003 and while you let the $1.5 billion sink in remember what Paul Wolfowitz told Congress.

...spent much of the hearing knocking down published estimates of the costs of war and rebuilding, saying the upper range of $95 billion was too high, and that the estimates were almost meaningless because of the variables. Moreover, he said such estimates, and speculation that postwar reconstruction costs could climb even higher, ignored the fact that Iraq is a wealthy country, with annual oil exports worth $15 billion to $20 billion. "To assume we're going to pay for it all is just wrong," he said.

It is really easy to let the current reality ignore the past lies. We have been sold down the river by this administration and I cannot understand why we are just standing by and ignoring it. This should have people in the streets.