Comments on: Should You Pay to Finance the War in Iraq?

By: Like the Way I Do: Melissa Etheridge Threatens Not to Pay State Taxes | taxgirl

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:15:01 +0000

[...] courses of action that we feel are unfair and expenditures that we don’t agree with – consider the war in Iraq, for example. That doesn’t excuse us from paying for the services that we use – roads, [...]

By: kellys

kellys — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:00:19 +0000

I think we also need to remember in this conversation that, thanks to our military, we can have this conversation without fear of persecution.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:39:39 +0000

Myron,

You can state your case as you like but please don’t resort to name-calling. My mother reads this site. It’s a friendly community. You can make your point without being rude.

As to your point about the flags, I believe you’re referring to the Marine flags which were never officially adopted as a US flag – I grew up not far from Camp Lejeune and am pretty familiar with the Marines.

I’m not quite sure what communism has to do with Iraq, but it’s your opinion to express.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:35:08 +0000

G-world,

I am thankful for all vets and our service men and women, as the proud sister of a former Navy service man and another who is lifetime Navy. Many of my uncles and cousins have or are serving in the military and my grandfather was in Navy. I get and appreciate the sacrifices of our military.

I think your analogy is flawed, however. The difference is that if you disagree with the price of gas in this country, you can opt not to buy it. I think this is the point that the activists are trying to make – that financing the war is not a choice and they are reacting to it by protesting. I’m not endorsing their cause, but I am struck by it. In an unpopular war, at what point does the country collectively say no more?

By: Myron

Myron — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:09:27 +0000

Well, I never cease to be amazed at the liberal idiots in our country. You pay for it one way or the other. Where were all the cry babies when we were being attacked during the eight years that “Slick Willie” was in office. The U.S.S. Cole; the embassies that were attacked and bombed; the citizens who died in other countries because they were Americans; the Twin Towers the first time; and let’s not mention the hugh reduction in the CIA budget for intelligence gathering during this administration. Where were all the cry babies then. This new age of gutless wonders whose memory span is about five minutes; we lost about 3,000 people when the towers were attacked. Your fathers and grandfathers fought a war in the Pacific were their memory was of a battlecry of “Remember Pearl Habour”. You can stick your head in the ground, howl at the moon or whatever you want, but remember you will pay for the attitude of indifference. You will pay in lives; in blood; in what the cost of buildings will be to be replaced; medical cost for those who will be injured and maybe never recover; and you will pay in fear. Our flags use to carry a phrase “Don’t Tread On Me”. Maybe you would rather be “red (communism) than dead”. I will use an old verbage, you can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands. Should we finance the Iraq War? You will pay trust me, one way or the other. It’s your freedom, your stupidity that will put us fighting this war in our country instead of over there. You decide.

By: G-World

G-World — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 02:56:02 +0000

I dont agree with the cost of gasoline, so should I just drive off without paying after filling up?
The thought of such is just as rediculous. Of course you should pay your taxes. As a Desert Storm vet(USMC), I completely support the war in Iraq. I wish that we had done more humanitarian stuff back in the early 90s to get Iraq in a better place. Maybe we wouldn’t be there now. But the fact is, we ARE there now, and our troops need your support, financially, and otherwise.

PAY YOUR TAXES, then thank a VET for the freedom you have to write such a blog.

By: kellys

kellys — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:59:18 +0000

Ok, this really gets my goat! I am all for protesting. But do it legally. Pay your taxes and vote out the people who are idiots! Hello!!! If you don’t pay your taxes, then the annual income of the government is hurt. Not the war. The money will come from somewhere. So technically, you might not be giving your grandmother her SS check. Or you might keep a wounded soldier from getting the medical care he/she deserves and has so honorably earned.
I am all for protesting in a manor that makes sense. But not paying taxes doesn’t make sense to me.
Here is something to think about. Whether you agree with the war or not, the fight will take place. They, unfortunately for them, picked us to have a problem with. I am, unappologetically, grateful that the war is being fought on their back door than mine. I pray for the families that are war torn. I am so sorry that anyone has to go through that, but I am so grateful that our military is willing to go out and fight over there. For that sacrifice, my kids can play anywhere they want without fear of someone shooting around them. And for that, I am willing to pay my taxes.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:40:37 +0000

But 9.11 had nothing to do with Iraq. That’s what is so frustrating about this war.

I remember every detail of 9.11. I remember where I was, who was with me and what I was feeling.

The fact that our administration knew that Hussein had nothing to do with 9.11 and led us to that war anyhow is disturbing. Sure, Hussein was a tyrant. But there are tyrants all over the place – start with the civil wars and genocide in Africa. Should we invade those countries, too?

It’s a scary, slippery slope. Yes, freedom is good and democracy is good. Do I wish more of the world were free? Of course. Do I want my brother to die for it? No. Selfish or not, the answer is no.

As far as my tax dollars go, the war is not as expensive as the infrastructure. We are building roads in Iraq when we have bridges falling down here. We are building schools in Iraq when children in the US are in overcrowded rooms without textbooks. I understand this collective frustration about not wanting to fund another country’s economy when our own is in such danger of recession.

And I agree that we should make our voices heard. It’s just frustrating that this administration has made it known that they will “stay the course” no matter what the public opinion says. It reminds me of something Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show – that Cheney supports democracy, just not in his own country.

By: Thrifty Karen

Thrifty Karen — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:23:14 +0000

P.S. I just wanted to add that I grew up in a military town most of my life. What is portrayed on the news is many times not accurate and twisted for personal gain. All of the military that I have spoken to support the war and what it stands for. And no, it’s not because the war is paying their paycheck. They come home with stories of hope and how excited they are to help the people over there that have been enslaved for so long. My cousin just returned from his 3rd trip in Iraq. Most soldiers that come home want to go back so that they continue the work they’re doing over there. They see it as a ministry. I don’t agree with everything that has been said or done in this administration or everything that has been done about the war, but I believe that a lot of good has come from the war. Like Wayne, I believe that if things had been done differently in previous administrations, including republican ones, things would not have gotten this bad. I had friends that were overseas during the first war of 1990 and they were pretty annoyed at Bush Sr. for backing down and not getting more aggressive.

It really stinks that 4,000 troops have died, but to be honest, just as many might be dead right now had we not gone over there to show terrorists that we weren’t going to back down. I see these bumper stickers that say, “9/11, Never Forget”, but it seems as though we have forgotten how violated and hopeless we really felt.

By: Thrifty Karen

Thrifty Karen — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:15:35 +0000

Wayne: You took the words out of my mouth. I’m glad you said it for me.

As for a protest at the IRS building, I think that republicans or Christians would be shunned and others would try to silence them for similar acts.