"There's a financial cost, but the only costs that are ever real are the costs of our soldiers"

This quote by Michael Ignatieff speaks to the concept that the real cost of war is not measured in cash, but in the lives of those who fight. He is stressing that the monetary cost of war is irrelevant compared to the expense of human life. Ignatieff is advising us that the ultimate price of war is paid by the soldiers who risk their lives in service of their country. He is highlighting that the real expense of war is not the cash invested, but the lives of those who fight and the families they leave behind. Ignatieff is reminding us that the expense of war is not just a monetary one, however a human one. He is advising us to keep in mind the real expense of war and to honor the sacrifices of those who have actually served.