A New Way To Pay for Iraq
The former Senator Bill Bradley once said, “trying to take money out of politics is like trying to take jumping out of basketball,” and for better or worse he is right. Specifically, in the case of the war in Iraq the “price” is not pocket change, it is about $14-$16 billion dollars a month, a fact which House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. David Obey is tired of, so tired that he has proposed a fix to our leaking budget – a war tax.
Though I am unsure whether the idea of a war tax, the first of its kind since the Vietnam War, represents a realistic or constructive policy proposal, I am impressed by Obey’s bold attempt to exercise the congressional power of the purse. This is one way of making average Americans recognize that wars are not free and that in paying for the war we are forced not to pay for other important programs. The genius of such a move, as E.J. Dionne explained in the Washington Post is that
"[It is a] way to test the seriousness of those who claim that the Iraq war is an essential part of the 'global war on terror.' If the war's backers believe in it so much, it should be easy for them to ask taxpayers to put up the money for such an important endeavor."
Certainly it is unlikely that such a measure will ultimately pass—the House leadership has already said it will not support Mr. Obey’s efforts—however the reminder that wars cost more than lives is an important one which all Americans and elected officials should take to heart.