Tax War

After reading Seymour M. Hersh’s essay “The Iran Plans: Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?” in the New Yorker magazine, April 17, 2006, I became somewhat depressed. In the piece he reports that there is a debate between the pentagon and the white house as to whether we should use a nuclear bomb in Iran to stop them from getting the Bomb. Well my initial response was ‘That’s ridiculous!’, ‘That’s ludicrous!’. Then I concluded that it was just plain crazy to use a nuclear bomb to stop someone from making one.

Then I asked why were so many insiders talking to Hersh? Perhaps it was not just to inform Americans as to what is being planned but to let the Iranians’ hear some of the speculation too.

Hersh’s column was a bit too much for me to handle. So I but some thought into a way to slow our president and congress from hyping another war. So here’s my idea.

Tax war. Let’s start by imposing a tax on the cost of the Iraq war which is over $274 billion. That turns out to be $1099 [click 'Entire U.S. 'box on the right then select 'per person']for each person in America. Congress would direct the IRS to require every tax return to include a separate section for the Iraq War Surcharge. The surcharge would total $1099 times the total number of persons in the household. A separate check would have to be submitted for the surcharge.

Currently we went to war on borrowed money and as the war continues we will borrow more money. Some day we and my grandchildren will be taxed for this war. But maybe if we have to pay the bill now for this war, just maybe, the American voters will not be so quick to support another war.

Well I can dream can’t I? It sure beats dwelling on Hersh’s “The Iran Plans”.