Every so often, usually just when I think things have gotten as ridiculous as they can get, something comes along that's so forehand smackingly ridiculous that I need to actually smack my own forehead.
The last thwack comes courtesy of the situation in Iraq (of course) where the United States has spent about $48 billion on reconstruction since 2003. Meanwhile, over that same time period, Iraq was running up a budget surplus of $80 billion!
WHAT?!?!
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping to create a stable Iraq, but if they've got the money, shouldn't they be paying for it? I mean, I guess we're paying anyway given that 94% of Iraq's revenue comes from oil and we're paying such high prices for it. But shouldn't we only be paying that country once? I mean, after liberating them and helping them create a democracy and having freedom ring and all that, shouldn't they be chipping in a little of that $80 billion toward building their own country? They could pay off all of our investment there and still have a budget surplus of $32 billion.
Oh, and did I mention that we're running a deficit in this country?
But don't worry, U.S. officials are working with the Iraqis and "progress is being made." Oh good. Can I have my money back now?
It kills me to read stuff like this. I mean, isn't anybody at the top paying attention and saying, "Hey, before we write another huge multi-billion dollar check, should we see if the Iraqis have any money they can chip in?" I can't believe this guy got re-elected.
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