True Costs of War?

We know about BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars that have been spent (and misspent) on the Iraqi War. Other costs of war are surfacing. One in four of the American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering a war related disability. Shamefully, neither the Pentagon nor the VA is tracking accurately whether the disability is related to losing a limb, eye, PTSD, Gulf War Syndrome (i.e. radiation poisoning from American DU weapons). How can the Pentagon or the VA be seen as seriously attending to the nation's wounded if they are tracking what the problem is so they can accurately access what services are needed and where?

Then another study is released yesterday that reveals 650,000 Iraqi's have died due to America's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. 650,000 dead Iraqis. All these deaths for what? To make a few American elites wealthier? That seems to be the only positive pay off in America....a few folks have become very wealthy as war profiteers. Virginia's own Blackwater is one prime example. Cheney's Halliburton and their subsidiary--Kellog Root and Brown--have also reaped huge profits from no bid contracts. BIG Oil has also done splendidly. Meanwhile the rest of us are burdened with the costs of war for at least another generation.

Can anyone be surprised that Al Queda wants us to "stay the course" so they can continue their successful recruitment drives.

We are less safe in spite of the terrible price paid by our soldiers and the innocent Iraqi citizens.

I hope Americans have had enough of this madness.

If you want more details on the study of the Iraqi death toll or the American soldiers on disability it is covered in today's Democracy Now webcast.