- I read somewhere that America spent about $450 billion (in today's dollars, of course) rebuilding the nations we defeated in WWII. If anyone has some sources on this, please let me know.

- Everyone seems to assume that Iraq's only source of income forever will be oil. A real modern nation has many more ways to make money, and Iraq will be no different. I'd like to think Texas has other sources of economic growth besides oil, for example.

- The current bill to the U.S. looks pretty good compared to the $1.6 trillion the anti-war folks were saying this would cost before the war started.

- By failing to meet U.N. resolutions, required for removing sanctions, Saddam lost his country about $100 billion in revenues. The war with Iran cost the nation another couple of hundred billion. Iraq's GDP peaked in 1979 at about $9,000 per capita, and started a steady decline with the rise of Saddam Hussein. All current dollars, as far as I know.

Just thought I'd mention it.