THE TRUE COST OF THE WAR

I was just watching Kerry's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, and it hit me what the true cost of the war in Iraq will turn out to be.

War creates strong, big government. It inspires patriotism, unity, comradeship. Obedience, loyalty and security are emphasized; freethinking, diversity, playfulness, good relaxed fun are eclipsed. War encourages solidarity, and creates grand notions of what we can achieve together. For all these reasons, war creates a mentality that adapts easily into socialism.

After WWII, the English threw out Churchill and elected Labor in 1945. They built "homes for heroes," they offered free medical care, they maintained the WWII rations system. In the long run, it was a disaster: the British economy stagnated, fell behind its European neighbors, lost its empire and its great-power status, until Thatcher turned it around. It won't be that bad here. But listen to all the things Kerry promised! "Affordable" health care, and seemingly universal health care-- of the quality senators get! Better education, subsidies for university education. Independence from Middle East oil-- how is that going to come about? More jobs, more "investment." And a bigger military, and more special forces, more veterans' benefits. We'll preserve Social Security. And we'll get "real" prescription drugs for seniors, presumably meaning the Medicare bill will be expanded even further! How will this be paid for? Taxes on the middle class will be reduced, Kerry insists; the "wealthiest Americans" will pay more taxes, but I doubt that will be enough even to offset the tax cuts for the middle class. So we'll see a huge deficit and a considerable expansion of the federal government. Yet how convincing it all sounded, coming from a soldier amidst soldiers, echoing the emotions that Bush has aroused in the past two or three years...

From war to solidarity to socialism. The true cost of the war. I hadn't thought of that.