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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (122913)	1/8/2004 6:53:24 AM
From: Sig	Respond to of 281500

<<We'd be doing a lot better, in the global HeartsAndMinds campaign against militant Islam, if we had spent 166B$ last year on life, rather than death, in the Muslim world. This is the opportunity cost of the Iraqi war.>>> Doing a little computing here, the Iranians need better buildings 66 mm Iranians, living 4 per house is 16.5mm homes Assume 2/3 d are now mud or adobe then about 12mm homes would be needed. Lets go the cheapest route, simple steel building or a mobile ( trailer type) home. Cost around $10,000 and up Total cost $120 billion No electric power available to run them No gas lines The average yearly income of an Iranian is $1170. It would take at least 4 years for them to save enough to make a 10% down payment on the building and you could not live in any metal building with no power or way to heat or cool it. But let us assume , for sake of winning hearts and minds, that we provided the $120 bil as a gift, and then spent another $120 bil to provide the electric power system so they could live in the buildings. So all the Iranians cheer wildly and call us their friends even if there is no way they can pay back a nickel or afford to buy our goods. At least they would not declare a Jihad and try to invade the US. And we would take comfort in doing a truly good deed and be back in the good graces of France and Germany and recognized as biggest sucker for a free handout of all time. While at the same time being accused of doing it to gain control of the Iranian oil industry Economic idiots Now on the bad side, there are 1,049 million Indians with an average income of $470/yr US who are going to be really PO'd that we provided aid to a country which is our sworn enemy while they get zilch Sig