Michael Buffington

"The War With Iraq Is

Tuesday, March 18 2003

“The war with Iraq is a great economic opportunity for the U.S. and for the Republicans.”

  – Jason Kottke


With all due respect to Jason Kottke, I wholly disagree.


If anyone can say that the war with Iraq is a great economic opportunity for the U.S., then that opportunity is shared by all policital parties, not just Republicans. It’s not like card carrying Republicans will split up some kind of bounty, or spoils of war, and Democrats will be denied any benefit. Conversely, in an economic slump, we all equally share the pain.


And, more towards the jist of the paragraph following the sentence quoted, I’m not convinced that war + stimulated economy = reelection for Bush in 2004.


Making the statement even more baffling: the fact that the cost of a war is stupifyingly tremendous means it can do little, in my opinion, to strengthen any economy. My opinion might not mean much here because I’m not an economist – but neither is Jason. But to say that any political party has the most to gain from a war gets my goat in a tuffle.


You might disagree.