Want to Save Detroit? End the Iraq War

People are dying, and more importantly, money is being lost
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2008 11:30 AM CST
Want to Save Detroit? End the Iraq War
In this July 6, 2008 file photo, a long row of unsold H3's sit at a Hummer dealership in Castle Rock, Colo.    (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)

You don’t hear much about the Iraq war these days, though the US death toll hit 4,205 on Monday. If human life isn't a convincing enough reason to bow out, writes Roger Simon in Politico, then here's one that "really is upsetting people these days: money." The war costs us $9-$12 billion per month, making Detroit’s request for a $25 billion bailout seem paltry.

If Obama ended the war scant months earlier, he could easily afford to save the auto industry—and have about $5 billion left over to spend on "luxury items" like education, health care, and the environment. Instead, the withdrawal date keeps getting pushed back. Yesterday, Obama vowed to eliminate programs that don't work. “I suggest we eliminate the war in Iraq,” writes Simon. “We can’t afford it. If it’s a choice between shedding American lives in Iraq or saving American jobs in the United States, I choose jobs.” (More auto industry stories.)

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