Comments on: Cost of Iraq War – $3 Trillion and Rising http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/ Smart Sense is a politically and environmentally minded blog detailing the latest news, trends, and discussions. Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:34:38 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Dawood Mamedoff http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-85 Dawood Mamedoff Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:34:38 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-85 This war is the second expensive for U.S. after the World War II. Here I've tried to summarize all costs of the Iraq war for Americans: http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/red-hot/86-all-costs-of-war-in-iraq-for-usa This war is the second expensive for U.S. after the World War II. Here I’ve tried to summarize all costs of the Iraq war for Americans:

http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/red-hot/86-all-costs-of-war-in-iraq-for-usa

]]> By: courtney http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-51 courtney Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:31:50 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-51 I did indeed enjoy your blog. I recently started blogging myself for a class, and i posted an argument on the iraq war dealing with cost. Ive been responding to people trying to lure them back to my blog, but unfortunately no luck. I'd appreciate it if you took a look at it and tell me what you think (i could use the criticism, or at least the opinion of someone else). thanks! I did indeed enjoy your blog. I recently started blogging myself for a class, and i posted an argument on the iraq war dealing with cost. Ive been responding to people trying to lure them back to my blog, but unfortunately no luck. I’d appreciate it if you took a look at it and tell me what you think (i could use the criticism, or at least the opinion of someone else). thanks!

]]> By: courtney http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-50 courtney Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:36:16 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-50 Loved your article, especially the info at the end. It's a real eye opener. I hope to read Stiglitz's book sometime soon, it sounds interesting. <em>Hi Courtney, Thanks for the comments! I agree, the numbers at the end really help to put Stiglitz's work into something concrete. Hope you enjoy the blog! -Nicholas | Smart Sense Loved your article, especially the info at the end. It’s a real eye opener. I hope to read Stiglitz’s book sometime soon, it sounds interesting.

Hi Courtney, Thanks for the comments! I agree, the numbers at the end really help to put Stiglitz’s work into something concrete. Hope you enjoy the blog!

-Nicholas | Smart Sense

]]> By: MC http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-48 MC Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:56:13 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-48 More here: http://acropolisreview.com/2008/03/three-trillion-dollar-iraq-war-stiglitz.html <code> <em>Hi MC, Good book review. The comparison you made to the mis-budgeting of the Katrina clean-up is especially potent......thanks! -Nicholas | Smart Sense More here:
http://acropolisreview.com/2008/03/three-trillion-dollar-iraq-war-stiglitz.html

Hi MC, Good book review. The comparison you made to the mis-budgeting of the Katrina clean-up is especially potent......thanks!

-Nicholas | Smart Sense

]]> By: Nicholas http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-47 Nicholas Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:13:32 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-47 Hi Jean-Paul Thanks for the insightful comment. Full Disclosure - I haven't had a chance to read Stiglitz's book yet. Although having me evaluate his research is a gross offense at best, you did ask...... I tend to agree that the Iraq was is not the sole cause of the US mortgage crisis. I see the banking issues stemming from an environment of deregulation under the administration - an umbrella that the Iraq war and its spending budget also fit under. Foreign investment in our firms can create some risk. I'd point to the near-sale of our East coast port systems to Dubai that rattled US security analysts a year or two ago. Having a foreign bail-out can be bad on a financial level too. Should a company create stock to sell to a foreign power, the stock value is deluted on those already invested. It's inflation on a corporate level. As for Iraq and oil - regional destability as a reason was the only thing I found in the interview. Although I have a feeling the supply has experienced some erosion as well. Hi Jean-Paul
Thanks for the insightful comment. Full Disclosure – I haven’t had a chance to read Stiglitz’s book yet. Although having me evaluate his research is a gross offense at best, you did ask……

I tend to agree that the Iraq was is not the sole cause of the US mortgage crisis. I see the banking issues stemming from an environment of deregulation under the administration – an umbrella that the Iraq war and its spending budget also fit under.

Foreign investment in our firms can create some risk. I’d point to the near-sale of our East coast port systems to Dubai that rattled US security analysts a year or two ago. Having a foreign bail-out can be bad on a financial level too. Should a company create stock to sell to a foreign power, the stock value is deluted on those already invested. It’s inflation on a corporate level.

As for Iraq and oil – regional destability as a reason was the only thing I found in the interview. Although I have a feeling the supply has experienced some erosion as well.

]]> By: Jean-Paul Larcheveque http://smartsense.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/cost-of-iraq-war-3-trillion-and-rising/#comment-45 Jean-Paul Larcheveque Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:16:11 +0000 http://smartsense.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-45 It's an interesting article, but I have a hard time believing that the Iraq war is to be blamed for the current liquidity crisis. In my humble opinion I blame lax lending practices in the US, and the absence of regulation and oversight when it came to re-packaging the loans. Even if the subprime problem is rather small considering the size of our economy, the problem shook wall street and eroded confidence which led us to a liquidity crisis. It is not the cost of the Iraq war that is to blame, but the re-packaging of risk in CDOs, MBS and the like that are then sold to SIV and other alphabet soup acronyms. Also you say that Citi and merrill lynch received some sovereign fund as if it were a bad thing. Sovereign wealth fund are smart investors, and like many other investors they invest less than 10% in the companies so as to avoid severe SEC reviews. Considering that less than 10% is by no way a controlling stake in the company, there is nothing to fear. Also should it be the role of the US government to bail out private banks? I do agree with you that the Iraq war is a bad thing for the economy, and the dammages are and will be felt in the future. But at the moment if the US had really wanted to bail out Citi and the like they could have kept on borrowing to do it. They are helping JP to rescue BSC at the moment... For the oil prices going up because of the Iraq war you are probably right; if you mind me asking, what is the link between the Iraq war and the price of oil? Is the reason just because of instability in the middle east? It’s an interesting article, but I have a hard time believing that the Iraq war is to be blamed for the current liquidity crisis. In my humble opinion I blame lax lending practices in the US, and the absence of regulation and oversight when it came to re-packaging the loans. Even if the subprime problem is rather small considering the size of our economy, the problem shook wall street and eroded confidence which led us to a liquidity crisis. It is not the cost of the Iraq war that is to blame, but the re-packaging of risk in CDOs, MBS and the like that are then sold to SIV and other alphabet soup acronyms.

Also you say that Citi and merrill lynch received some sovereign fund as if it were a bad thing. Sovereign wealth fund are smart investors, and like many other investors they invest less than 10% in the companies so as to avoid severe SEC reviews. Considering that less than 10% is by no way a controlling stake in the company, there is nothing to fear. Also should it be the role of the US government to bail out private banks?

I do agree with you that the Iraq war is a bad thing for the economy, and the dammages are and will be felt in the future. But at the moment if the US had really wanted to bail out Citi and the like they could have kept on borrowing to do it. They are helping JP to rescue BSC at the moment…
For the oil prices going up because of the Iraq war you are probably right; if you mind me asking, what is the link between the Iraq war and the price of oil? Is the reason just because of instability in the middle east?

]]>