Rational War

Sunk costs are irrelevant. This is a significant part of economics. It means that decisions made in the past should not affect decisions made now because you cannot change those decisions. What matters is the consequence of the decision that will be made now. So, if I am deciding on whether to write this post or do my homework, the fact that I chose to play computer games yesterday instead of doing homework shouldn’t affect my decision. Yes, the fact that I didn’t do homework yesterday means I have more homework to do today, but the fact that I chose to play computer games yesterday does not weigh into my decision today. The only things I consider are the importance of doing my homework now versus the importance of writing this post.

You’re probably wondering what I’m babbling on about. Well, I am saying that sunk costs are irrelevant and this applies not only in my private decisions, but also in the national and international arena. Many Democrats are calling for a set date to pull out of Iaq. They attack Bush on the muddled reasoning for invading the country. These two issues have nothing to do with each other. Whether or not we were justified in entering Iraq, the fact is, we are there and this country depends on us if it is to rise out of this mess without falling into civil war. Joe Leiberman wrote an excellent editorial regarding this subject. We are in Iraq and have an opportunity to save millions from tyranny. We are a nation founded upon this principle of freedom and we must unite to support it. We have made mistakes in Iraq. We made mistakes in every war, though. Our government and military are man-made institutions. If we look for flaws, we will find them every time. If we concentrate on those flaws, we will miss this opportunity and these people will once again lose hope.

Pulling out of Iraq is not an option. Yes, it will save our lives, but it will condemn millions to a life they have a chance to leave behind forever. If we back down from this challenge out of our own selfishness and pride, the blood of those people will be answered upon our own heads. Every life has a cost, but when that life is lost in fighting for freedom, than that life is not lost in vain. I salute the thousands of U.S. soldiers who have died in Iraq, attempting to bring one of the most precious of American ideals to a foreign land – freedom.