We can always argue priorities for spending the Federal government’s money. But that’s a different discussion from the relative prices of different wars at different point in time.

So what price exactly? The health of our nation? Our superpower status in the world? Or economic supremacy?

Pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

We can grouse all we want about comparing these dollars to those dollars, but in there and now, we could be doing better with our tax dollars, no? Seems like Iraq is a waste of tax dollars, yes? And it won’t just be us paying for it, it’ll be our grandkids. Still think the war is worth it? I certainly don’t, especially if it’s at the expense of our long term stability as a country.

Between Vietnam and the first Gulf War, just for example, prices increased by a factor of about 10. And inflation has continued in the decade and a half since. Which means that Iraq could have a nominal cost of 10 times Vietnam, and still cost less in constant dollars — which is the only meaningful way to compare costs (although the percentage of GDP comparison would also be a step forward).

Note: this is not intended as a defense of any particular national policy. It’s strictly an expression of irritation of people making statements which are based on meaningless numbers.

If these forces prevent the ascendancy of Salafist Islam in the 21st century, then it would be worth any price.

So what price exactly? The health of our nation? Our superpower status in the world? Or economic supremacy?

Because make no mistake, that’s what we’re beginning to put at risk when we take our eye off the domestic policy and instead spend billions we don’t have on wars we never needed to fight in the first place.

Will we continue to be a liberating force that gets mired into hugely expensive conflicts that go on for years on end for little or no pay off?

If these forces prevent the ascendancy of Salafist Islam in the 21st century, then it would be worth any price.