"One scary thought is how the economy will react when the huge dollar
volume of rubber checks for war supplies and related items *has* to be
cut off. Of course the econony looks good right now....at least $ 100
billion (low number to quell debates about value) is being thrown at
the
economy per year. If you want to get real black helicopter on
things...it's not much different than the book 1984 where you have
production without an increase in the standard of living...make stuff
then destroy it so you can keep the economy going.

If you take a more realistic number of 250 billion per year going
directly and indirectly to the war, that's about $ 1000 per person per
year that's being thrown at the econony. The conservatives claimed
that
the $ 250 per taxpayer one time tax rebate really got things rolling
again....how much is $ 1000 per *person* for at least 3 years keeping
things rolling?

However, the time will come when this has to end. What of machine
shops
and US producers at that point? how much will it hurt the auto makers
when they aren't producing bradley's and humvees like they are going
out
of style? It's a LOT easier to scale up than to scale down production.

I suspect that there will be massive lay offs and a real depression
when the money dries up.

Either the Govt keeps writing rubber checks to keep it in place or the
rug gets pulled out from under the cash flow. Bush can't "win". If he

does, the economy is screwed.

Koz "

This wind down of the war is a very valid concern.

The end of the Desert Storm saw 4 out of 10 employees in the respective
industries losing their jobs.

The best we can expect is a significant recession...you can only spend
for so long whether you are the government or the consumer and the
economic hangover of repayment lasts long after the party is over.

The worse...well, remember the $2 trillion figure...it can come in many
forms but you can be sure it will come from you the taxpayer...ready
for higher taxes?

In the future when problems arise with medicare, Social Security,
rebuilding this nation's infrastructure, education...well the list goes
on and on...the voter standing in the voting booth should remember the
dollars spent and lost on Iraq.

TMT