The act of war is not cheap. In fact, as the years pass and technology advances, each war becomes more and more costly than the last. There are troops to train, house and feed, as well as transportation to provide and weapons to manufacture. Many people don't realize that spending continues long after war ends, in the form of stabilization and reconstruction of war-torn countries and care of veterans. Much of this money comes from American taxpayers. Although no one particularly likes paying taxes, most of us accept it as a duty and contribute without much complaint. Would we still do this if we knew what was really happening with our tax dollars? Although many people believe that money spent on war is justified, in reality a huge amount of that money ends up being stolen, mismanaged, or simply slips through the cracks and never seen again. In March 2003, President George W. Bush launched an invasion of Iraq, thereby triggering the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, our most recent involvement in the war. Larry Lindsey, Bush administration economist, estimated that this war would cost the United States between $100 and $200 billion; however, these figures were seriously underestimated (Stiglitz 1). In the article "A Chart of Human, Financial, and Strategic Costs," Matthew Duss, Peter Juul, and Brian Katulis report that as of May 2010, the Iraq War had cost the United States $748.2 billion. In the coming years, an additional $422 billion to $717 billion is expected to be spent on veterans' health care and disability. By early 2010, Iraq relief and reconstruction cost the United States an additional $162.83 billion...... middle of paper ......0. Internet. January 18, 2011. Gerth, Jeff and Don Van Natta Jr. “In Tough Times, One Company Makes Profit in Terrorist War.” » The New York Times. July 13, 2002. The web. February 2, 2011. Glanz, James. "Cost of transporting fuel to Iraq called into question in new audit." The New York Times. November 7, 2006. The web. February 2, 2011. Greene, Stephen G. “The Challenges of Aiding Iraq.” Chronicle of Philanthropy 15.13 (2003): 22. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Internet. January 18, 2011. Hartnett, Stephen J. “An Ugly and Sickening Business, or the Legacy of Bush and the Decimation of Iraq.” Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies 9.6 (2009): 780-86. Internet. January 22, 2011. Stiglitz, Joseph. “The High Cost of the Iraq War.” The voice of economists 3.3 (2006): 1-3. Internet. January 18, 2011. Stone, Peter H. “Iraq Contractors on Defense.” National Journal 39.9 (2007): 76-77. Premier Academic Research. EBSCO. Internet. January 25. 2011.