# 300 billion paid for Iraq so far. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 22, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530 "2005-04-22T01:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/1 "2005-04-22T01:23:18Z")
[http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050421/D89K30P00.html](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050421/D89K30P00.html) How much better that money could have been used. So sad. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/2 "2005-04-22T01:37:22Z")
Over what? 2 Years? 200 Bil is a drop in the bucket compared to what this country has. I get the feeling you may not like Bush a whole lot. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/3 "2005-04-22T01:38:23Z")
Erm, 300 Bil :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/4 "2005-04-22T01:42:49Z")
nitpick: Iraq AND Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/5 "2005-04-22T01:49:21Z")
$300 billion here, $300 billion there … pretty soon you’re talking about real money. Duffer, are you fucking joking? That $300 billion that didn’t need to be spent is just what … mad money? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/6 "2005-04-22T02:00:29Z")
No, I’m not fucking kidding you. Have you seen even a portion of a US budget in the last 15 years? $300 over 2 years is nothing. To me and you it is, but not to the wealthiest nation in the world. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/7 "2005-04-22T02:08:23Z")
The Federal budge is 2.1 trillion dollars [cite](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2056.html). Which makes 150 billion (300 billion over 2 years) approximately 7% of the budget. That certainly is not just a drop in the bucket. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/8 "2005-04-22T02:14:45Z")
> [@treis](#): > > The Federal budge is 2.1 trillion dollars [cite](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2056.html). Which makes 150 billion (300 billion over 2 years) approximately 7% of the budget. That certainly is not just a drop in the bucket. Forgive Duffer…for he can only think with the right side of his brain. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/9 "2005-04-22T02:15:57Z")
Especially when it’s been spent on an unnecessary war. By duffer’s reasoning, anytime Bush gets a bug up his ass he can piss away a few hundred billion dollars and it won’t affect the country at all because, gosh, we’re so darn rich. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/10 "2005-04-22T02:46:09Z")
How much was spent on liberating Europe? In today’s dollars? Oh, wait. Saving a nation of people isn’t worth the money unless it’s your nation. I forgot about that argument. Thanks for setting me straight. It is our money so it should only be spent on helping us. Fuck everyone else. Wehn did you liberals get so jaded and cynical? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/11 "2005-04-22T02:53:52Z")
I see so we have tried the drop in a bucket argument and that was shot down so we are switching to a new one? How many arguments are you going to try and play that game for? This Doper isn’t going to play that game. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/12 "2005-04-22T02:54:07Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Saving a nation of people isn’t worth the money unless it’s your nation. Right. That’s exactly why the US didn’t spend billions chasing the Chinese out of Tibet or overthrowing Augusto Pinochet, wasn’t it? Can you spell OIL, **duffer**? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/13 "2005-04-22T02:56:32Z")
OK, maybe you can tell me what the percentages are for education, health, welfare and housing, just to show me how much this is really costing us. Convince me, I’m listening. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/14 "2005-04-22T02:57:11Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > How much was spent on liberating Europe? In today’s dollars? > > Oh, wait. Saving a nation of people isn’t worth the money unless it’s your nation. I forgot about that argument. Thanks for setting me straight. It is our money so it should only be spent on helping us. Fuck everyone else. > Wehn did you liberals get so jaded and cynical? Apples to motherfucking oranges. “He’s got WMD’s that he’s going to attack us with tomorrow if we don’t invade!!!111one” turned into a noble liberating of the Iraqi people awfully quick didn’t it? World War II equates with the this Iraq war about the same way that Ali-Liston equates to sucker punching a frat boy for hitting on your girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/15 "2005-04-22T02:57:52Z")
**Jack** Motherfuckin’ **Batty**. I was wondering the other day where you’d gotten to. I haven’t seen you around in forever. Welcome back! Unless, uh, I’ve somehow just been missing you, in which case, never mind. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/16 "2005-04-22T03:02:12Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Right. That’s exactly why the US didn’t spend billions chasing the Chinese out of Tibet or overthrowing Augusto Pinochet, wasn’t it? Can you spell OIL, **duffer**? You’re comparing China to Iraq? You’re honestly comparing a war with China to one with Iraq _ **AND AFGHANISTAN** _? You people keep forgetting this is two wars. There is no reasoning with you. _“Can I spell OIL?”_ Talk about old arguments. This is the same shit I heard back in '91. You’ve had almost 15 years to come up with something else. Where was the outrage when Clinton was bombing Serbia? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/17 "2005-04-22T03:06:32Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > **Jack** Motherfuckin’ **Batty**. I was wondering the other day where you’d gotten to. I haven’t seen you around in forever. Welcome back! > > Unless, uh, I’ve somehow just been missing you, in which case, never mind. > > 🙂 Eh, I’ve been in lurk mode for a while. No access at work. Hard to contribute when every thread is already 97 pages long. You know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/18 "2005-04-22T03:06:32Z")
Sorry **Jack** , I keep forgetting how great a man Hussein is. And how wonderful, compassionate and caring his sons were. I’ll join you in your lament that he and the French can’t steal any more Oil-for-Food money from starving peasants. Poor guy. I’ll lay off him. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/19 "2005-04-22T03:07:48Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Sorry **Jack** , I keep forgetting how great a man Hussein is. And how wonderful, compassionate and caring his sons were. > > I’ll join you in your lament that he and the French can’t steal any more Oil-for-Food money from starving peasants. Poor guy. I’ll lay off him. Yes. That’s exactly my point. Saddam Hussein was the greatest man since Gandhi. I’m so glad you’re follow the gist of my argument. You fucking dipshit. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530/20 "2005-04-22T03:30:57Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > You’re comparing China to Iraq? You’re honestly comparing a war with China to one with Iraq _ **AND AFGHANISTAN** _? You people keep forgetting this is two wars. There is no reasoning with you. Yes. They’re both tyrannies who invaded helpless smaller neighbours, and I’m pretty sure China possesses WMDs, so according to your altruistic view of US foreign policy your money shouldn’t only be spent on helping yourself, right? And if you’re worried about China’s capacity to up the ante militarily, well, Pinochet was a rotten bastard too and I’m pretty sure he couldn’t have hit back. Still, he’s been settled by history, so why not go and pick on, ooh, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe? _He’s_ a right prick who’s suborned democracy and whose lunatic policies in redistributing arable land to his political cronies are starving millions, so he should be ripe for the steel toecap of justice. No, wait, no oil in Zimbabwe, if you’ve even heard of the place. Oil, **duffer** , oil: it was true 15 years ago, it’s still true now, and as for “old arguments”, _you’re_ the one who brought up WWII. Your point about “two wars” eludes me - I thought the purpose of invading Afghanistan was to roust Al Qaeda, and was completely unconnected to the invasion of Iraq, except that the latter was initially sold as part of the “War On Terror”. Fine, you get a pass on the first one, since AQ were operating out of Afqhanistan: as a matter of fact, I don’t recall too many people objecting to that one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/300-billion-paid-for-iraq-so-far/300530.md?page=2)