Would Americans be Pro-Wars if They Had to Pay for Them with Higher Taxes?

[Joanne98]

For OpEdNews: Grant Lawrence - Writer


-- Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for additional troops sent to Afghanistan and that NATO should provide half of the new soldiers.....Source: Bloomberg News

Let's be honest. People, especially Americans, are a greedy, bloodthirsty lot.

But here in America we have figured out a way to be both greedy and bloodthirsty without having to choose between either of them.


We have financed our wars for empire on the backs of our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren while we rip off the oil, the opium poppy, and whatever resources we can legally steal from the countries we invade.

But what if we had to actually pay for the pleasure of our wars right now?

What if we had to pay for the trillion or so dollars with higher taxes right in the present?

I wonder if Americans would opt for blood or revert to greed if they knew their occupations would hit them right in their own wallets.

You see, Americans (especially conservatives) don't like to pay for anything of value. They want a safe, business friendly society that has no public infrastructure, no functioning education, and no social safety net. But Americans do like to borrow to fund wars and the preparing for wars. They also like to borrow to fund welfare for the super rich in the form of bankster bailouts.

For the last decade, disaster capitalism in the form of globalization has all been a wonderful experiment in the dehumanization of people worldwide. The brutal implementation of that strategy in the form of wars for Empire has not only killed well over 1 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it has made our Military Industrial Complex fat with blood profits.

In short, Americans have been able to have their cake and eat it too.

So it would obviously be a tough choice for many cold-hearted, selfish Americans. They would have to give up their lust for blood or their lust for money. The choice would be enough to make a 'Ditto Head' Tea Bagger have second thoughts about the American Dream.

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http://www.opednews.com/articles/Would-Americans-be-Pro-War-by-Grant-Lawrence-091120-152.html

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. seems like there is an overflowing pot of gold for war though

the USA borrows lots of money form other countries like China

All people who voted for Bush should pay a surcharge

[BOSSHOG]

2. I think this is kinda on topic

"Patriots" make me wanna puke when they fake their outrage very loudly about "my" tax dollars being spent on abortion services. But they have no problem whatsoever that billions are spent (wasted) in Afghanistan for no apparent reason.

I'd be all for congress saying we have to raise your taxes 10% right now to pay for what we are spending in Afghanistan. Then we'd get more fake outrage.

[tblue]

3. That's the evil brilliance of the B/C admin. War with no apparent sacrifice.

Great question you asked. I think they love their money even more than they love war (if they have to pay for it).

[OHdem10]

4. Congress would think long and hard if they had to raise taxes.

[GMA]

5. Probably about the same as they feel about paying for health care

through higher taxes.

[yurbud]

6. weird: I just posted something similar on how a war tax would force GOP to choose between

war and their ''no new taxes pledge.''

http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2009/11/we-need-war-tax-to-force-gop-to-choose.html

[Stargazer09]

7. Another question...

Would Americans be pro-war if they were forced to deploy with the military (either as a military member or as a civilian support person)? And if they were too old/infirm/etc., they'd have to send their children or family members to war. Would everyone be in such a hurry to stay in Afghanistan and Iraq under those circumstances?

I saw a televised rally for McCain at a college (I think it was in Iowa) sometime in 2008. He asked how many students supported the war in Iraq, and all sorts of kids yelled and clapped and cheered. Then he asked those willing to deploy to stand up. A handful of ROTC cadets stood up, and all of those other cheering students were suddenly silent and cowering in their seats. Told me a LOT about the freeper mindset. It made me sick.

[Hawkowl]

8. Constitutional Ammendment

No war shall be financed by borrowing money. Also no corporation is allowed to make a profit selling material or manufacturing weapons during war.

I think this would have prevented every war the US was involved in since WII.

[Demeter]

9. Make Corporations Pay for Their Little Corporate Wars

which is exactly what Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South and Central America are all about.

[FiveGoodMen]

10. We certainly DO have to pay for them with higher taxes.

All of DC colludes to hide that fact from us, but it is inescapable nonetheless.