In the past I’ve talked about the cost of the Iraq war to Iraqis and today Crikey’s daily newsletter today has calculated the financial (not moral or ethical) cost of the Iraq war to Australians:
“By June a Australia’s war in Iraq will have cost taxpayers $1.2 billion, according to defence think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute. That’s enough to buy:
- 42 new high schools each catering for 720 year 7-10 students … or
- Two 740-bed hospitals … or
- 116,346 fully subsidised new Long Day Care childcare places (for one year) … or
25 kilometres of six-lane freeway (at $48 million per kilometre) … or- 480,000 new places in the New Apprenticeships access program that caters to occupations where there are skills shortages … or
- 83 new technical colleges.
Depending on your point of view, it’s the price we’re paying for a) securing Iraqi freedom or b) our subscription fee to the Australia-US alliance…”
If you want to see what $1.2 billion helps pay for, check out the photo gallery at Robert Fisk’s website. It’s hard to look at, but I’m sure it’s far more painful for the people in the photos.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Shana Worrell // Nov 7, 2007 at 9:00 am
I think that many people want Australia to be pulled out, all for different reasons, but don’t you think that the money comes second to those family members lost in the fighting? Many people don’t care about these millions of dollars being spent. They care more about their family over there, risking their lives every day. They want this money to be spent on the protection of their loved ones. They don’t care if they don’t get a new road or a new school for their children. They just want to know their loved ones are safe and will stay alive.
2 lauren williams // Mar 22, 2008 at 9:59 am
i believe that in any case there all bastards. those who define the war because of the control of petty commodities, and those who involve themselves in the war for a strong allience with another country and pay no attenention to those who die in there homes, from explossions, because of their goverments choices.
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