and neither can the Iraqis.

plan or simply profound ineptitude. There are parts of the Rethug economic plan--tax cuts for the rich, lowering the estate taxes--that I know were intentional, but the Rethugs are such terrible money managers that I think that some of the economic consequences are simply signs of gross mismanagement. Stupid mistakes like debathification and putting 23-year-old graduates of Regent University are just stupidity.

and one of the most insidious aspects of funding is the continued reliance on emergency supplemental appropriations that do not go through the budget process with normal fiscal controls and scrutiny.  And five years into the occupation, we know the burn rate of $12 billion/month that should be budgeted.  

However we need to be prepared with other counter arguments.  As Bush says 'We don't go to war on the calculations of green eye-shaded accountants or economists.'  And just think how much the cost would be if left Saddam in power, or if we now did not "win" in Iraq.  

These lame talking points are being used to justify the expenditures and dismiss the cost as inconsequential.  The first is meaningless political posturing.  For the second, we may need to don the green eye shades and do the CBA.  But in the end, the question comes back to what does "win" mean, and how much do we chose to accept in terms of human misery and how much can we afford to spend to achieve that definition of "win".

..IMHO. Look at what Afghanistan did to Russia. It helped push them over the edge and the end result was the moneyed elite took over Russia. They looked at what happened in Russia and didn't see a problem, they saw a plan.

What a perfect way to finally end the Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security programs. They know they can't get anyone to "vote" them out of existence, but if they crash the economy those programs would most likely disappear and they would be able to buy up the rest of America in a fire sale.

This is how they make the U.S. Government small enough to drown in a bath tub.

Of course, I would love to see a Dem elected President and turn it around on them. Due to the disparity in who benefited from the economy over the past eight years and the dire straights this country is in, a millionaires tax of 65% would be levied for 2008 earnings/income, regardless of source (securities, investments, etc.) over $10 million to help straighten the country out (If they don't like what they have to pay, they have the choice of getting $30K a year job like the rest of us.) If you don't like what you pay in taxes, don't earn it.

Thereafter the tax for profits exceeding $10 million would be 50%. On individuals and corporations. I call it, "The millionaires flat tax," since so many of them want a flat tax. Income from $20K to $10 million would be a progressive tax and over that, a flat tax. Under $20K would be no taxes. If the wealthy whine about that, let them go live on $20K or less per year and see how "wonderful" it is to try and scrape by.

That was always its plan - get us  into a war and then loot the Treasury. With deficit  spending, they not only looted the contemporary surplus, they looted generations of citizens for decades to come.  

Into whose pockets did all the money go? Who actually got rich during this festival of theft? Find them, tax them, and force them to give it back. Take their homes. Pry open their offshore accounts.

Do whatever it takes to make this country equitable again.

For a long time, the middle class could forget the poor, hidden in their slums, because the middle class got by in their homes with their toys. They could ignore the rich, as well, because they didn't see them, and they had no idea how rich they were.

Now the middle class is being destroyed by debt, by healthcare costs, and by pension thefts. There isn't anything to distract them anymore, and soon they will have nothing left to lose. That's when the whole country will be an unpredictable tinderbox and all the gated communities in the nation won't be able to keep the out.

The images of Mussolini hanging by his heels keep coming to mind. I suppose the Bushes don't believe the tumbrils could ever roll here.