[ExI] Costs of the Roads Not Taken (was "Up against the warming zealots"...hmmm)

[Eugen Leitl]

On Tue, Jul 24, 2007 at 11:59:17PM -0700, Lee Corbin wrote:

> Whether or not the war was justified in some sense, it's simplistic
> to describe the choices this way. We might employ the same 

Sometimes, the choices are quite simple.

> logic to save a great deal of money on police and prisons, for

In the case of the U.S., a very good case can be made to
cut the costs by 10% or more by removing classes of victimless
crimes.

But as whole, comparing the Iraq rigmarole with police action
has me in stitches. It's ridiculous. Both in scope, and in
effect. 

> example.  They don't create wealth and are very costly.

The Iraq shenanigan definitely doesn't create wealth nor
security, and it is about to bankrupt the U.S.

There are areas of remarkable idiocy and waste, but none
of them to the tune of more than a terabuck.
 
> The problem, of course, is that the consequences of alternate
> policies may be even more costly.  Surely this was the supposition

The problem, of course, that idiotic policies will always be
costly, and but for filling the coffers of few and nuclear glass 
elsewhere they're the largest problem we collectively face.

The sheep definitely need to start organizing.

> of those wishing to invade Iraq even as it was the supposition of
> those wishing to attack Japan and Germany in 1941:  though
> much more expensive by far than the current operations, it was
> deemed that in the long run failing to take these actions would
> have been even more expensive.

This war will considerably accelerate first case of nuclear 
terrorism of one or several U.S. cities. If you think that's
cheap, be my guest.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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