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Meanwhile, at military bases around the
country they've been dumping hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic
wastes, including chemical warfare agents, napalm, explosives, PCB's,
and heavy metals, creating malignant lagoons and contaminating the
groundwater of surrounding communities.
There are 11,000 military dump sites that need to be cleaned up. The
estimated cost -- $100 to $200 billion. [133]
I say, let's fence 'em all off and call them national security sacrifice
zones.
DANGER. KEEP OUT. TOXIC WASTE.
He's serious -- that's what some people are proposing.
Another cost of foreign wars is the retaliation they bring.
If we weren't always bombing other people, we wouldn't have to worry so
much about people bombing us!
On the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Homeland Security Secretary Tom
Ridge admitted that the war would spur more terrorist attacks against
the U.S. [134]
"I think we can anticipate ... more threats because of a potential
invasion. I mean it's fairly predictable." -- Rom Ridge, March 2003.
In other words, the Bush Administration knew that invading Iraq would
bring retaliation, but it decided to go ahead and place us in greater
danger anyway!
The "War on Terrorism" opened a new chapter in U.S. foreign wars, a
chapter that may be marked by an endless cycle of violence. Some in
Washington seem to relish the prospect. Emerging from his secret bunker
several weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Dick Cheney
predicted that the "War on Terrorism" would go on for a long time. [135]
"It may never end. At least not in our lifetime." -- Cheney, Oct. 2001.
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