In Times of War, Everyone Should Pull Their Weight to Foot the Bill
News Item: A Congressional study found that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have cost the a typical American family of four $20,900.
This is good news. I have been worried sick about what the adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan were costing and how my family and I would pay our fair share. But it’s much less than I thought it would be.
We are a family of seven — two adults and five little dogs. So if you count the dogs equally as the humans, which the dogs certainly would insist upon, then the wars’ costs for each of us comes out to $2,986.
That’s cheap, considering that we have freed Iraq from a terrible tyrant, set the country well on its way to becoming a model democracy, advanced the cause of American democratic ideals throughout the Middle East and even into Africa and Central Asia and begun convincing even the most die-hard Islamists that ours is a better way.
However you feel about President Bush and his team, you have to admit that they deserve a lot of credit and a hearty slap or two on the back for prosecuting these two wars so cheaply and accomplishing so much in the process with a minimal toll of dead and maimed soldiers.
As a way to show our appreciation to the Bush Administration and to demonstrate in our own modest way how much we cherish our freedom, I have told all family members that we each should come up with a plan to make some personal financial sacrifices so that we can pay our share of the cost of the two wars.
I told them that once we have chosen our financial sacrifices, I will open a savings account and we will regularly put the money we save into the account. When the account balance reaches $20,900, I will send the money to the White House and ask them to apply it to the cost of the two wars.
To my mind, every American family should do the same. When we wage wars, it should be on a pay-as-you-go basis. It just strikes me as foolish to borrow money to wage a war. If you can’t pay for the war on an ongoing basis, then you probably shouldn’t get into the war. Right?
How will I come up with my $2,986? Here’s what I’ve come up with:
– Starbucks. My Latte Whoppicinno habit has gotten out of control. So I’m going to drop it completely, cold turkey, for a year. Savings: $2,080
– Hollywood. Two movies a week and two refreshment stand pigouts a week is somewhat extreme. So I will cut it down to one a week. Savings: $750
– Breath Mints: Two packages a week is a bit much. So let my friends and co-workers suffer from time to time if we are in too close a proximity. I’ll cut it down to one package. Savings: $52
See? I’m almost there and I haven’t had to give up that much.
What about the significant other? Two or three fewer trips to the women’s clothing department at Wal-Mart and cutting her weekly movie habit in half should take care of her share.
Now, let’s figure out how the dogs will come up with their shares…
Yep, this pay-as-you-go approach to waging wars isn’t as hard as it sounds.