A couple days ago I posted a blog asking if President Clinton or President Obama would be the one to launch the offensive that “liberated” through total destruction the city of Mosul Iraq. Would it happen in the last half of 2016 or in 2017? The Obama administration has repeatedly stated its intention to do this but the timeline is vague. Maybe it is even in process at this moment? We really do not know.
Mosul is a city with a population comparable to Boston Massachusetts according to wikipedia. We have within the past year destroyed the sunni cities of Tikrit and Ramadi. These cities are closer to the size of Fort Lauderdale, Florida or Little Rock, Arizona. These cities are now uninhabitable. They have no water systems anymore. The people of these cities would probably jump at the chance to get some of that tasty water in Flint Michigan. We have no plan to rebuild these cities we destroy. We threw 50 million dollars at Ramadi after 80% of its buildings were destroyed by our campaign to “liberate” it. 50 million dollars is a bandaid on multiple gunshot wounds. In 2015. It cost the us military 9 million dollars daily to bomb shit in iraq. If you follow the money it is clear that we are more interested in destroying stuff than building it.
This is supposedly a progressive blog. My post from a couple days ago received much ridicule from those who commented. Nobody wanted to really discuss the futureplan for Iraq or details of our current operations. It reminded me of conversations from 2003.
Maybe the Daily Kos community thinks that Bush’s 2003 invasion was in fact necessary? Maybe people here think that the Bush administrations lack of forethought was wise? I would have thought not but after reading the comments I have begun to wonder.
I am having trouble understanding why bombing sunni cities in Iraq was a mistake in 2003 but is not a mistake in 2016. I am having trouble understanding how not having a plan for the aftermath of aerial bombardment and “liberation” in 2003 was a mistake but not having a plan for the aftermath of aerial bombardment and “liberation” in 2016 is not a mistake.
I am having trouble understanding why no one seems interested in discussing this rather large government initiative in a serious and thoughtful way.
If nothing else it costs us a lot of money to do this stuff. 9.1 million dollars a day times 365 equals 29.9 billion dollars. plus 50 million dollars to rebuild a couple houses here and there, bringing the grand total to 29.94 billion dollars.
money well spent?