Iraq Owes Billions To The United States

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
One could always argue that a more realistic assessment of the costs beforehand wouldn't lead to this sort of little problem.

That horse has already left the barn and is far in the distance by now.

[Asher]

But the jockey is an incompetent deaf-mute and the horse is running towards the slaughterhouse.

[DinoDoc]

/me is curious how much we can torture this metaphor

[Sprayber]

Stop beating a dead horse

[Ted Striker]

wait wait be patient Sprayber. Let's not put the cart before the horse

[Drake Tungsten]

Maybe we can hope that the Iraqis won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
That horse has already left the barn and is far in the distance by now.

But it's a nice thing to remember the next time you get a horse. There are still parts of the Islamic world we haven't invaded yet.

Another part of the equation is how much Bush & co. just seemed to assume until very recently that a Republican Congress would give him whatever he asked for.

[Asher]

Like a pure-bred stallion, all things must die off sometime.

[MichaeltheGreat]

And let's not be horse's asses about it, either!

[Gatekeeper]

I believe that what Congress did was short-sighted. McCain made very *good* points, IMO.

The last time I checked, we never forced Europe to repay costs incurred to us while helping to rebuild that part of the world following the devastation of World War II. Why should Iraq or Afghanistan be any different? I don't care if Iraq is sitting on a trillion dollars in oil. One hundred to one odds are most of it is inaccessible, what with the current state of Iraqi oil equipment (and add to that the possibility that they don't have the technology to make it financially feasible to recover some of the oil).

Daschle voted wrong on this one.

Gatekeeper

[Drake Tungsten]

Daschle voted wrong on this one.

Agreed. Hopefully he'll come to his senses and admit his mistake. I'd like to hear this new policy condemned, straight from the horse's mouth.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong. That's why there was never going to be an easy out with Iraq, no matter how the post invasion situation develops.

With a slow economy, lots of people unemployed, relatively low confidence in the economy, and a record deficit, people aren't particularly in the mood to be generous with their tax money in support of Bush's policy.

At the same time, it doesn't do us much good if we screw around and create resentment in Iraq among the general population, because Bush put a lot of US prestige and influence on the line with his "model of democracy in the mideast" rhetoric.

[Gatekeeper]

All very true, MtG. Thing is, now that we've gone in and driven Saddam Hussein, et al., from power in Iraq, she's our baby now. We have to bring them back up from the cellar, so to speak. I mean, that's how I feel. I was torn on the decision to go to war, but now that we're there, dammit, we have a *duty* to do what's right. In this case, that means helping Iraq out financially. And if we do the right thing, maybe other nations will, too (i.e. in terms of forgiving some or all of Iraq's debts to them).

Gatekeeper

[Uncle Sparky]

Sounds like a real night-mare... Especially when you consider a possible Arabian response, old pal-o-mino !
... and how will this play in filly ?

(I'd keep talking, but I'm feeling a little horse right now...)

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
All very true, MtG. Thing is, now that we've gone in and driven Saddam Hussein, et al., from power in Iraq, she's our baby now. We have to bring them back up from the cellar, so to speak. I mean, that's how I feel. I was torn on the decision to go to war, but now that we're there, dammit, we have a *duty* to do what's right. In this case, that means helping Iraq out financially. And if we do the right thing, maybe other nations will, too (i.e. in terms of forgiving some or all of Iraq's debts to them).

Gatekeeper

We may have a duty, but it sure is a tough sell when the economy and the deficit are in the present condition. Some people would argue we have a higher duty. To ourselves.