Friday, February 29, 2008

$6 Trillion - The True Cost of the Iraq War...

This is a truly startling article which details the work of Nobel Prize winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz efforts to evaluate the real cost of the war in Iraq.

Call me niaive, but I was always astounded that the cost of just sending troops and equipment was in the region of $16bn per month! However, these figures don't take into account the cost of paying for wounded soldiers, death in service benefits, support troops and contractual obligations.

$6 Trillion!!

And what are the great "benefits" this expenditure has brought us? Are we safer? Are there less terrorists out there? Have we "won the hearts and minds"? Are our oil prices reaching all new lows thanks to the increase in oil availability due to "liberating" Iraq?

NO NO NO

Afghanistan is virtually a lost cause now. Possibly lost for a generation. Iraq is still on the brink of civil war and is now teaming with foreign terrorists. Saddam may have been an evil dictator, but he never allowed Al Qaeda into that country. Oil meanwhile is now at it's highest level since the fuel crisis of the 1970s.

How many schools, hospitals and research centres could have been built around the world for this money? How many children could have been educated and given a future in countries throughout Africa?

The effects of this crime will exist for generations.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Top Things You Must Read, Watch and Do to Save the World!

Quite a nice little poll over on SciFi asking people to submit their top 5 books, films, TV shows and things to do in order to save the World.

When making your selections, you may keep three factors in mind...

  1. Adrenaline (the title's power to enthrall and excite)
  2. Vision (how well it presents a scenario for the future)
  3. Precision (whether the science behind the fiction holds up)
Check it out at http://www.scifi.com/visions/poll/index.html