November 25th, 2009
05:20 PM ET
13 years ago
Afghanistan: Pay for it or charge it?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/25/art.marines1125.gi.jpg caption="President Obama is set to announce his new Afghanistan strategy next week."]
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - War is expensive, and it's about to get more so if the U.S. government escalates its military efforts in Afghanistan.
President Obama is set to announce his strategy next week. And the question of cost hovers in the background of the difficult decision he faces.
Over the past eight years, the nearly $1 trillion cost of the military's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan was essentially charged to the national credit card.
Will it be different this time?
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I say tax Republicans...they seem to want this war badly enough, let THEM pay for it.
If you want the war, pay for the war. This is a war of choice. Pay for it. Why make our children pay for it with decades of debt and interest payments?
Tax the top 1% and the money will start pooring in! they pay 17% tax rate. peoples that make 36,000.00 a year get taxes at 25% rate ya, that fair?
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You might want to double check your tax tables. The top 1% are taxed at least 35%. $33k-82k pay 25% if single. If you’re married, it's 15% for $15k-67k.
Something tells me you're closer to the 10% tax bracket.
I agree with Dean, send a bill to Afghanistan and lets send one to Iraq while we are at it. They are raking in Oil money, they should pay us back big time.
Sell war bonds like in WWII. Maybe Cheney and Bush will step up to the party and then tax the crap out of the defense contracters who have been ripping off America for the last 65 years. Ike warned America but no one listened. Tax the churches that meddle in politics. Tax Big Pharma that has been ripping off America for years. Roll back Bushes Tax gifts to the mega rich. Give Afghanistan and Iraq one year to get their houses in order, then leave.
We had eight years take out loans for the costs for these wars and at the same time cutting federal revenues with massive tax cuts and breaks for the upper 10% and corporate America. And that was called the Republicans' version of financial conservatism and spending/budgeting responsibly. Gee how soon they forgot or maybe they just weren't paying attention at the time, of who started this whole mess of record deficits. When you spend using credit and cut revenues at the same time, it does lead to major deficits and bills that must be paid by future generations. It's time to re-instate the tax breaks from the 2000-2004 period and we all have to face the fact that these bills must be paid. And hopefully we can bring back some common sense on spending that was greatly lacking in the previous conservative administration.
Funny Man
"Why do terrorists attack us? They attack us because we are over there"
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The dumbing down of America is progressing very well. Funny Man, you seem to have no clue what the real agenda of the radical fundamentalist Muslim is. You show ignorance of world history. Why is all of North Africa Muslim today? They are Muslim by the point of a sword and terror.
These people don't care about Palestinians, they don't care that we have troops "over there" as you say, they believe their way of life should replace ours.
You, my friend, are a simpleton of the worst sort. Your thinking will get more Americans killed by 9-11 style attacks.
Let me wager you this – we can pull back from every corner of the world – I would recommend that we pull foreign aid along with troops, doctors, Care, everything we as Americans do for the world. Let's pull the plug.
The wager is after we have completely crawlerd inside ourselves the terrorists will then strike. Then their work will be almost complete – the real prize for the fundamentalist Muslim is America. And you'll be the moron helping them the most.
Maybe the republicans will tell us how to pay for these 2 wars. They don't want Americans to have HCR, but is ok to spend our money building highways, hospitals and schools on foreign soil.
"Pay for it or charge it?"
How about a third option; get the hell out?
If we leave Afghanistan the problem will take care of itself. Instead of fighting the US army they will fight amongst themselves and leave the US alone.
This debate kind of puts a clearer light on the entire right-wing's sudden outrage about deficits. The wars? useless at 1/10th the price. Heathvare? Cheap at 10 times the price.
If we are going to stay there then a tax is the only way to pay for it.
Obama needs to do one of these two things: give the commander what he needs to finish the job or bring the boys home. We are putting these troops in harm's way and we need to stop playing politics and using middle-road tactics. Also, taxes are what this country does not need in this time of economic crisis. If anything, we need to cut taxes and spending. If we go the way we are going, I am not sure how long this country will be around for. We do not want another Iraq or Vietnam: bring them home or give the commander what he needs to win.
END THIS WAR.
Period.
Dont "pay" for anything (outside of our troop's plane tickets back home)
Count our losses and get over it. We owe it to those that have given their lives. We owe it to the generations to come who would like some semblance of a stable future...
Get the money from Al Gore and the lying Liberals who are making money hand over fist with the climate change LIE, I know you sheep have not heard the story, you follow the lamestream media, nuff said.
Climate change is formally known as global warming, but that lie was debunked so they changed the name, FACT.
we need to pull out!!!!!
Please, go ahead and tax anyone who is FOR the WAR. Perhaps they will think twice before invading a country or sending anyone over.
If you like it so much, then PAY for it. When you start paying, you'll thiink twice before you BUILD something dumb or you do anything dumb.
The current administration doesn't seem to care about how to pay for things, why should I???
Got to love our liberals in Congress. We don't !
This is just another ploy to raise taxes and feed the cancerous growth of Big Government! A classic Democrat charade to go hand in hand with the Stimulous Plan, Healthcare, Cap and Trade, etc.etc.
It will NEVER end! Remember Oboma's campaign promise? No increased taxes for anyone earning less than 250K per year? Liar liar liar!