THE UK COST of four more years of war in Afghanistan is estimated at £20bn. The ‘savings’ demanded by this government to the NHS over the same period amount to £20bn. Can anyone spot a solution to this problem?

It might be easy enough for a child of five to see. But it has eluded the government and its supporters.

Last week those responsible for the NHS in the south west of England issued documents on ‘staff cost reduction potential’ including pay cuts, longer hours, and reductions in holiday pay. Refusal to accept these delightful options will mean job losses.

There seems no apparent recognition that the NHS could be preserved and expanded by cutting back on other areas of spending. Ten thousand troops fighting an unjustified and unwinnable war in Afghanistan cost a lot of money -- £5bn a year running costs for the war.

This war will not be won. August has seen a sharp increase in the number of US-Nato casualties, with total US deaths passing the 2000 mark and a leap in the number of 'green on blue' killings -- when Afghan soldiers or police turn on their 'mentors' from the occupying armies. The recent Taliban attack on the plane of US General Martin Dempsey -- on an emergency visit to Afghanistan to review a war strategy in disarray -- was dismissed by US authorities: "They just got lucky." But looked at another way, so did General Dempsey.

What a sickening aspect of this 11 year war that it has been accompanied not just by a rise in killing but a rise in austerity in all of the warmongering countries.

The US has funded this and the Iraq war through its deficit. Now it has to pay the deficit back -- but not by cutting wars. Instead it is cutting the welfare, healthcare and education of its citizens. Britain and other European countries are following suit.

Last week, a disabled supporter of Stop the War sent a copy of a letter he has written to the government and to ATOS, the company responsible for testing the sick and disabled to decide whether they qualify for benefits. It shows the level of desperation facing many people as a result of austerity, and accuses the government of having blood on its hands as a result of the cuts.

In contrast to the brutal slashing of welfare spending, military budgets are closely protected and there is never any economic question of refraining from going to war because it costs too much. But the NHS is supposed to find cuts of £20 billion which will guarantee worse provision for millions of people in Britain and worse conditions for those staff who work in it.

The connection between war and austerity may not be in the minds of everyone who suffers benefit cuts or can’t get a hospital bed. But we should make no mistake that it is in the minds of the government and its friends.

In fact so addicted to war are they that there has already been one bombing campaign in Libya in 2011 (don’t hear much about that now, do we) and plans for the future include more wars, not less. The BBC reports that following a phone call with Barack Obama, David Cameron is now considering further intervention in Syria on the grounds that it has chemical weapons.

It's a sickening reminder of the mantra ten years ago over weapons of mass destruction, used as an excuse to wage an illegal war against Iraq: but then these people learn nothing and forget nothing.

Join Disabled People Against Cuts for The Atos Games From Monday 27 to Friday 31 August – five days of action against the company that's sponsoring the Paralympics but wrecking disabled people's lives. Details...

Join A FUTURE THAT WORKS: London 20 October 2012. National demonstration called by the TUC opposing the government's austerity policies. Details...