The U.S. broke Iraq. It should pay to fix it.

[sdbest]

In regards to this story in Reuters U.S. lawmakers want Iraq to start paying the bills | Politics | Reuters, it seems to me that it is fundamentally wrong to demand that Iraqis should pay to repair the destruction inflicted on them by the United States. The U.S invasion of Iraq was a premeditated, unlawful attack. As result, the U.S. should pay for the reconstruction of Iraq and reparations to the Iraqi people. If this bankrupts the U.S., so be it. If someone maliciously destroyed our home and killed some of our family members, we would expect that the instigators would be held to account. The U.S. should be held to the same standard.

Is there a just argument to be made, why the U.S. should not pay Iraq in full for what it has done to that country and its people? I think not.

[Winter wind]

Well, the argument is that the USA is rebuilding the place therefore restoring their karma.

[Whilletal]

Ok you empty your bank account and your wallet and send your money first. Lead by example. Its easy to demand that the government pay out for something when we forget its our cash they are using. Our economy sucks, I'm paying over $50 per tank of fuel when a few years ago I could fill the same car for half. My wife and I went to dinner at KFC a got a couple of chicken strip meals and it cost almost $23. Thanks but I'd rather keep the little I do have so I can continue to pay my rent. And yes I am a "cold hearted racist white male of privilege who is personally guilty for all of the wrongs of my race and government"......just figured I'd beat you to it.

[sdbest]

Quote by: Whilletal Ok you empty your bank account and your wallet and send your money first. Lead by example. Its easy to demand that the government pay out for something when we forget its our cash they are using.

Actually, I'm a Canadian. Our Prime Minister and our people didn't buy the Bush Administration's arguments and rationales for the invasion. We didn't break Iraq, the U.S. did. But I would agree that the U.K and the other members of the "Coalition of the Willing" ought to ante up to.

[Technosoul]

The problem with that idea is that this war has also broken our economy and the average taxpayer cannot budget such reconstruction at the present time, we can hardly afford gas for our car, let alone doing all that. And the radicals are tearing down anything we re-construct in protest of our occupation.

It is a big Republican mess.

The only solution is to establish socialism in Iraq, where everyone in Iraq get a fair share of the oil profits being generated, as that is their main source of national export income collectively. Once they all can share the wealth then they would have enough money to start up their own personal businesses and so forth, and things could get back to normal.

[Derek Wolff]

Thats an interesting idea technosoul but probably will not be supported by the US or the elitists controling the oil fields and taking advantage of their situation by taking them under force. Remember the recent basra conflict? An elitist was attempting to take the southern oil feilds of basra at which point the people of basra became militant. The Iraqi government then sent soldiers to support the elitist and then came Americans.\

Communism however is likely to take root in Iraq. It'll probably go through the same cycle we've seen before in other communist countres.

If someone maliciously destroyed our home and killed some of our family members, we would expect that the instigators would be held to account. The U.S. should be held to the same standard.

No doubt you are from canada. If some one malicously destroyed my home I would immediatly take arms and start shooting at the bast*rds. I would not ask for mercy and compensation for an action taken against my life. They would likely show none and destroy some more. Its troubling to me that you would think of such a thing.

[Domino]

Americans elected the bastard who blew up Iraq, so, yes, we will all be paying for it out of our own wallets and bank accounts. It really is our fault, each and every one of us (that's the thing about democracy: if you're going to take responsibility for the guy you elected, you have to take responsibility for the guy your neighbor elected, too).

Right now, though, Iraq is not rebuildable. So long as Iraq is having a civil war, there's not much point in rebuilding anything. As well, we need to get some sort of accountability among the contractors, because they've been putting out shoddy work that will all have to be replaced.

If Iraq wants to be rebuilt, it should get itself together. Once it does, America should certainly pay whatever it takes. With any luck, the economic depression that follows will teach us not to elect morons. We certainly have a lesson to learn, here.

Personally, I think that every member of the administration's personal fortune should be the first money sent to Iraq, followed by that of every member of Congress who voted to authorize idiocy.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Domino Americans elected the bastard who blew up Iraq, so, yes, we will all be paying for it out of our own wallets and bank accounts. It really is our fault, each and every one of us (that's the thing about democracy: if you're going to take responsibility for the guy you elected, you have to take responsibility for the guy your neighbor elected, too).

It is pathetic to bring the troops home because of our bank accounts, but it's still a factor. Also, if we don't wise up, someone will "open a can of whoop-ass on us."

Grandpa h.

[Nono]

Brief round-up here: No-one has answered sdbest's question: "Is there a just argument to be made, why the U.S. should not pay Iraq in full for what it has done to that country and its people?"

So I will -- No.