“….In the months ahead, our patience will be one of our strengths - patience with the long waits that will result from tighter security, patience and understanding that it will take time to achieve our goals, patience in all the sacrifices that may come….” Bush announces military strikes on Afghanistan in an address to the nation on Oct. 7, 2001.

““…..Today, those sacrifices are being made by members of our armed forces who now defend us so far from home, and by their proud and worried families. Two years ago, I told the Congress and the country that the war on terror would be a lengthy war, a different kind of war, fought on many fronts in many places. Iraq is now the central front. Enemies of freedom are making a desperate stand there and there they must be defeated. This will take time, and require sacrifice….” -- President Bush's Speech, September 7, 2003

Sacrifices made by President Bush and Vice President Cheney
(in context)

Military

The number of Children of President Bush, V.P. Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary Powell, or Security Advisor Rice who are in the military and have participated in Iraq War: 0

Taxes

President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush's Taxable Income /taxes paid, in 1991: $654,972 / $204,841 (31.3%)

President George W. Bush and Laura Bush's Taxable Income /taxes paid, in 2001: $811,100 /$250,202 (30.8%)

President George W. Bush and Laura Bush's Taxable Income in 2003 (the tax cuts DO help!): $822,126 /$227,490 (27.7%)

Vice President Richard Cheney and Lynne Cheney’s Taxable Income /taxes paid, in 2002: $945,051/$341,114 (36.1%)

Vice President Richard Cheney and Lynne Cheney’s Taxable Income /taxes paid, in 2003: $813,266 / $253,067 (31.1%)

Vacation

Number of vacation days taken By President Bush as of August 2003: 250 (27% of his time)

Number of vacation days taken By President Clinton between 1992-1999: 152 (6% of his time)

“Sacrifices Made By The Troops

“We don’t do body counts,” General Tommy Franks, US Central Command

Number of American troops serving In Iraq: Approx. 150,000

Coalition Military deaths (CNN, 6/21/2004), http://icasualties.org/oif/ : 963

U.S. Military deaths (CNN, 6/21/2004), http://icasualties.org/oif/: 846

Medical Evacuations from Iraq (hostile and non hostile causes): Nearly 11,000

Taxpayer Money Spent On The War

U.S. Government Spending on the Iraq War till now: $119.4 Billion

Estimated U.S. Government Spending on the Iraq War by 2005: $150 Billion+

Price Paid By The Iraqi People

Civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq , as of 6/21/2004: Between 9,436 and 11,317

Casualties due to post war conflicts, including insurgency: Not yet Estimated

Decimated Security

Infrastructure Destruction

Loss of Self Respect – Abu Ghraib and other similar events

Moral of the Story

George Bush was right when he promoted himself as a CEO President. Fighting a war is akin to running a business, best done with the OP-X Rule illustrated below.

OPA: Other People’s Assets

OPK: Other People’s Kids

OPM: Other People’s Money

OPS: Other People’s Stupidity

The reader can fill in the rest.

Dr. Gurram Gopal (ggopal@wowway.com) is an Assistant Professor of Business Adminsitration at Elmhurst College in Illinois, and is deeply concerned with the direction our country is headed.

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