Report: War costing US $12B a month

[HGervais]

The $12 billion a month "burn rate" includes $10 billion for Iraq and almost $2 billion for Afghanistan, plus other minor costs. That's higher than Pentagon estimates earlier this year of $10 billion a month for both operations. Two years ago, the average monthly cost was about $8 billion.

Wow.

All told, Congress has appropriated $610 billion in war-related money since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror assaults, roughly the same as the war in Vietnam. Iraq alone has cost $450 billion.

Wow. Just wow.

[The Omen]

And how much of that is being appropriately allocated? That's my biggest concern. Of course the cynic in me knows the answer already, but, you know.

[sneakers]

That's Bush for ya.

[TemporalWisdom]

And how much of that is being appropriately allocated? That's my biggest concern. Of course the cynic in me knows the answer already, but, you know.

Well, the most recent number I've heard on that is from Al Franken's book The Truth. Actually, this addresses the amount of money spent on the reconstruction of Iraq, which is only part of the war costs, but here it is. As of fall 2004, 27 cents of every dollar appropriated for reconstruction has actually been spent on reconstruction. Not to mention that a lot of what they've spent money on is concrete walls to keep suicide bombers away from U.S.-occupied buildings. Crackerjack move, firing 400,000 soldiers without first disarming them.

[Dignan]

I guess freedom costs a little more than a buck-O-five.

[Black_Shadow]

I wonder how it is possible for a country to throw away that kind of money in a relatively short time without falling on some sort of financial crisis. I guess Bush was hoping to have this money back with a huge profit when he first sent the troops, but right now it looks like that money will never come back.

As a foreigner, I feel curious, Is the economy of USA really that strong? Do you have unlimited resources?

[Belmondo]

I wonder how it is possible for a country to throw away that kind of money in a relatively short time without falling on some sort of financial crisis. I guess Bush was hoping to have this money back with a huge profit when he first sent the troops, but right now it looks like that money will never come back.

As a foreigner, I feel curious, Is the economy of USA really that strong? Do you have unlimited resources?

We do have unlimited resources who will pay for everything.
Here in America, we call them "grandchildren".

[Black_Shadow]

Nice one, Senor Belmondo, so that's the trick...

I was kind of hoping for a more technical answer...

[Belmondo]

:D

Nice one, Senor Belmondo, so that's the trick...

I was kind of hoping for a more technical answer...

Okay, but a more technical answer means a more depressing answer.
Some of us watch a newsmagazine show called "60 Minutes", and they recently had an interview with the head of the GAO (Government Accounting Office). He made a convincing argument that politicians know about, but flatly refuse to do anything about, the looming financial crisis. I was surprised to learn that it is not the war, or national defense, or terrorism that is going to bankrupt us. It is entitlement programs and especially the cost of health care that will become so expensive that in about forty years the government will only have enough money to pay the interest on the national debt.
All of our national leaders in Washington know this; but they know that if they raise taxes or cut services, they will not get re-elected. So they do nothing.

[HGervais]

It is entitlement programs and especially the cost of health care that will become so expensive that in about forty years the government will only have enough money to pay the interest on the national debt.
All of our national leaders in Washington know this; but they know that if they raise taxes or cut services, they will not get re-elected. So they do nothing.

Try 10 years. Medicaid & Medicare are nearly bankrupt. For as much as Bush has spoken of revamping Social Security with minor tweaks it is a healthy program. The two M's are the tough act that nobody wants to touch on either side. Bush likes to talk like he is conservative which is of course a joke. He is the first President since LBJ to sign into law a new federal entitlement program and he is the biggest spending president, again, since LBJ. Cutting taxes and spending like sailors on shoreleave in a whorehouse is a recipe for disaster but that was our President and our GOP-lead Congress for 6 years. And let's hope nobody does anything to really piss off the Chinese causing them to call in all the markers they are holding or we are all really screwed.
So yeah, almost half a trillion dollars to invade & occupy a country that posed us no threat and had nothing to do with 09/11?....just a drop in the bucket. To quote Andrew Sullivan of late, get angrier everyone.
Now more than ever we need a leader.

[Black_Shadow]

Oh, don't worry about it, Belmondo, we have those problems too, but much, much worse.

Besides that, Mexico has been in crisis ALL my life, It's not that bad.