PUT UP OR SHUT UP TIME FOR WAR SUPPORTERS

The Congressional Joint Economic Committee issued a report this past week confirming that the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reached $1.6 trillion dollars, a figure that produces a war bill of $20,900 for the typical “family of four” household.

Unfortunately, American taxpayers have not paid a single dollar on this war debt. Every appropriation for war expenses since 2001 for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been approved as a supplemental appropriation, which means that the appropriation was not part of the government’s regular budget or paid for by budgeted tax revenues. Instead, the government sold treasury bills (government IOU’s) to foreign countries like China, Japan and Saudi Arabia to secure funds to finance the wars. The interest on those treasury bills compounds daily, and will continue to do so until the debt, with interest, is repaid.

This begs the question: When do war supporters plan to pay off the debt?

Millions of American have eagerly displayed, “We Support the Troops” bumper stickers and flags on their vehicles, but if that display represents the extent of actual support they are willing to provide, one has to question the sincerity of the gesture.

It seems to me that it’s time for every supporter of these wars to open their wallets and checkbooks, to take out second and third mortgages and to dip into savings to pay off this war debt. And, if like the President of the United States, folks are not willing to pony-up for the war they wanted, well then, its time to shut up on the claim of supporting the troops or the war, pack up the military and bring them home.

When a country goes to war it requests its soldiers and military personnel to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. If the citizenry isn’t willing to make a corresponding sacrifice and pay for the war, it should never be fought in the first place.

The Bush Administration is wrong in refusing to ask the American people to make the financial sacrifice necessary to support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s wrong to refuse to increase taxes to pay for a war or to continue conducting such an endeavor if the citizenry refuses financial support. It’s put up or shut up time – and bumper stickers don’t count!