Re: Al Gore on apple board now! Apple is going down the tubes.

[russotto@grace.speakeasy.net (Matthew Russotto)]

In article <v7n16k87nkcl0f@corp.supernews.com>,
Paul Grammens <grammens@svn.net> wrote:
>
>"Stanford study says war has already cost nation $1.1 trillion
>The Associated Press
>-- A Stanford University study says the war in Iraq has already costs the
>nation one-point-one (t) trillion dollars -- and that number continues to
>grow.
>The study looked at the impact of the war on the stock market, oil prices
>and the economy in general."

<imperialist>
Don't think of it as a cost, think of it as an investment.  One which
the US will make back many-fold once Iraq is defeated and an American
puppet regime installed.  First will be the impact of getting Iraqi
oil back on line without smuggling or other sanction-evading
circumlocutions.  That'll be worth a lot in itself. 

Next, there's the increased pumping due to the investment in Iraqi oil
infrastructure by rich American oil companies.  An enormous benefit
will be reaped bythe withdrawal of Iraq from OPEC; it will certainly
send that organization into a shambles.  Switching Iraqi oil payments
back to dollars from Euros will help the US dollar.

Of course, one must account for friends of Bush getting a cut at each
step here.  However, their cut is almost certain to be no more than
the cut of Saddam and his cronies, and in any case the increased
efficiency of oil extraction will overwhelm any slight increase in graft.
</imperialist>
-- 
Matthew T. Russotto                            mrussotto@speakeasy.net
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in pursuit
of justice is no virtue."  But extreme restriction of liberty in pursuit of 
a modicum of security is a very expensive vice.