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The Fastest Simplest Way to End US Involvement in Iraq: Iraq War Tax (Updated)

Posted On: September 25th, 2007 | Published Under: Life

When I heard the recent video of Bush clearly stating that the US cannot afford $22 billion for veteran health care, I felt the typical disgust I normally feel. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then I paid close attention to his justification about why $22 billion was too much and would cause a rise in taxes, but the $200 billion he needs for the Iraq war is no problem at all for the American people.

My conclusion was quite obvious: You can’t push $22 billion through because it may anger the US voting base since it could require higher taxes, but $200 billion is no problem because we are financing the war with borrowed money, issuing notes to foreign countries such as China, and increasing the national debt ceiling limit higher.

My Solution: Introduce a bill to Congress that would require the US to pay for the Iraq War directly and no longer borrow money from foreign governments to finance it. To me it seems pretty obvious that if you start a preemptive war with another country, it is NOT ok to use everyone else’s money to pay for it.

What would be the fallout if every tax paying American suddenly had to shell out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, to directly finance the War in Iraq? Typically US citizens don’t respond well to increased taxes. Then take into account all the military families that would have to cut that extra large check to the government in April and know that they are actually paying to keep their son, daughter, husband, wife, etc… in Iraq.

The US started this war. The US needs to start financing it directly. No more treasury notes sold in the billions to foreign nations. No more printing extra currency to make up for debt. The people, including myself, need to start paying for this war now and stop asking everyone else to pay it for us. Then and only then will the American people FINALLY be hurt where it actually matters, in their pocket books. When we can’t buy iPhones, get a new mortgage, flat panel TV’s, afford already un-affordable health care, or go to the movies because the Iraq War tax killed our “fun budgets”, maybe then we will see mass revolts and protests in the streets.

I would love to hear some other opinions on this idea. Let me know what you think.

Please comment below or send them to my email

UPDATE:

I have received a few emails telling me that a tax is the farthest thing from solution and that I must be some extremist liberal to imply it would help.

First off, I completely agree that this has no chance of it ever happening. Pushing a bill like this is political suicide for anyone that votes for it. What I want such a bill to do is put the Iraq War right in everyones face, right in the living room, and right in their bank account. In previous wars in the 20th century, the nation as a whole was affected directly by its existence.

Now days, unless you are in the military or a military family, the Iraq War is not effecting you on a daily basis. You wake up and go about your daily life and rest comfortably at night because the Iraq War is having no noticeable effect on your daily ritual. However, if you woke up in the morning to discover that you now had to shell out $600 to directly fund the war, a lot of people who haven’t said a single word publicly about the war, would suddenly be marching to their congressman to string him up.

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2 Responses to “The Fastest Simplest Way to End US Involvement in Iraq: Iraq War Tax (Updated)”

  1. Nate Says:

    That is brilliant. It would end the war quicker than instituting a draft would.

  2. Paul Nelson Says:

    From what I have read, this is the first ‘war’ that was not accompanied by some kind of tax or war bonds or…

    Americans do not like taxes, but someone has to pay this debt. If we are so immature as to think we do not have to pay this bill - its time to buy a one-way ticket out of the U.S.

    I have sent emails to my representatives in the House and Senate - no reply. Our politicians are so afraid to ask people to pay their fair share.

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