It's time to end the United States occupation of Iraq Some say that the American people have not sacrificed in the Iraq war. This cannot be further from the truth. Large cuts were made in necessary domestic spending and more cuts have been proposed. The latest budget from President Bush contains a large cut in Medicare. Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz made a compelling argument that there is a direct relationship between Iraq deficit spending and the slowing economy. Money borrowed for Iraq devalued the dollar and resulted in a glut of cheap capital. The cash rich banks got sloppy and loaned money to anyone to buy a home. A housing bubble emerged and now has burst. Deficit spending does matter. A bankrupt nation's currency becomes worthless, inflation increases and consumer spending drops. The Iraq occupation has gone on for five years now. It's time to end it and tend to our own problems. Robert Scardapane Somerset