Lew Hodgett wrote:
Let's see, on one side of the ledger we have:

Over $1 trillion of borrowed money was spent,

Over 4,000 lives were sacrificed,

Over 30,000 were wounded.

This is only the USA and doesn't include our allies or the Iraqis
themselves.


Actually, about $740 billion.

And no lives were sacrificed. Our volunteer military is made up of people
who knew the risks - the same as mountain climbers or sky-divers or race car
drivers - and eagerly enlisted for the opportunity to kill people and blow
things up. The military is our warrior class: They were born to do this,
they were trained to do this, they need to do this.

Fully 85% of those who've served in Iraq or Afghanistan reenlist at each
opportunity. The remaining 15% retired, were invalided out, or married
harridans.

If you get a chance, watch the movie "Hurt Locker." Fairly boring, but the
screen periodically interjects "330 days remaining," "200 days remaining,"
"35 days remaining." Then we get to the last five minutes of the movie as
the main character gets back home.

Various scenes of him helping with the dishes, mowing the grass, feeding the
baby.

Then the last scene: The BDU-dressed main character walks down the ramp of a
C-130 carrying his gear as the screen says "365 days remaining."