The Cost of War - $752 Billion

[Toro]

Today CBO released a new study analyzing the increases in funding for military activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the war on terrorism over the past several years.

* The United States began combat operations in Afghanistan in fiscal year 2002 and in Iraq in fiscal year 2003. To finance those operations (and others related to the war on terrorism), the Congress provided $18 billion and $76 billion in emergency appropriations in those years, respectively.

* With the exception of a slight decrease in 2004, to $74 billion, funding has increased steadily each year, to a total of $165 billion for 2007.

* If the Administration’s request for 2008 is funded in full, appropriations for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for activities elsewhere in the war on terrorism will rise to $188 billion this year and to a cumulative total of $752 billion since 2001.

http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=64

 

[DeadCanDance]

It's sheer knee-slapping comedy when Bush voters complain about federal spending.

 

[jreeves]

It's sheer knee-slapping comedy when Bush voters complain about federal spending.

Let's see here....Are you telling me now that you don't support the war in Afgan?
I know for a fact you don't support the war in Iraq.

But with that being said....War in Iraq and Afgan. since 2001=762 billion 7 years
Cost of Social programs in 2007(not counting Social Security)=680 billion in one year

Don't get me wrong I think we should get out of Iraq too but not to our nation's detriment by leaving a mess.

 

[Warner]

I think the issue is: Can we afford to continue this "War on Terrorism" at this level of spending?

If we bankrupt ourselves Bin-Ladin will truly have won.

 

[Gunny]

It's sheer knee-slapping comedy when Bush voters complain about federal spending.

Not really. I can think of plenty of things I don't want my money spent on, war or no.

What's comedy is the tax dollars you leftwingnuts want to throw at issues instead of addressing the root of those issues and correcting them and all the name-calling and accusations anyone has to endure at your hands for disagreeing with you.

By the by ... to date ... what is the total of Clinton's little Eurpoean war you never hear about cost us in tax dollars? You know, the one that hasn't ended yet?

 

[akiboy]

I think the issue is: Can we afford to continue this "War on Terrorism" at this level of spending?

If we bankrupt ourselves Bin-Ladin will truly have won.

I think the United States and its allies should create a special force consisting of soldiers from non Islamic countries specially to combat terror in every part of the planet. I know we have NATO & ISAF etc but what the world needs right now is its very own anti-terror army. Countries like U.K , U.S , Australia ,Germany, Israel ,& India can contribute towards the budget and manpower of this army.We have enough terrorism in Kashmir where there is a bloodbath almost everyday.

This will reduce U.S military spending.Personally , I think this would work. Because we have so many countries who are a part of this force terrorism can be curbed in almost every continent.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Let's not forget about the 845 billion that Obama has proposed to subsidize global poverty through the UN at taxpayers expense.

 

[Paulie]

Let's see here....Are you telling me now that you don't support the war in Afgan?
I know for a fact you don't support the war in Iraq.

But with that being said....War in Iraq and Afgan. since 2001=762 billion 7 years
Cost of Social programs in 2007(not counting Social Security)=680 billion in one year

Don't get me wrong I think we should get out of Iraq too but not to our nation's detriment by leaving a mess.

I see the point you are making on expenditures, BOTH of which I believe need to be much lower, but as for the last thing you said...

When exactly do you think it will ever NOT be a mess in Iraq?

I mean, even if it somehow made a miraculous turnaround and violence became almost non-existent...that would obviously be our cue to leave...what if the warring sects in that country decided to start their shit again after we left, now that the US military isn't there to strong-arm them anymore?

I mean, the violence in that country may NEVER go away now that we probably irreversibly distrupted the veritable "harmony" they once had there.

Short of dividing that country up into 3 parts, I think we completely ruined the political stability within there.

At some point, you just gotta let it go and move on. What better time then RIGHT NOW, when we're teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in this country. A mistake is a mistake. We simply cannot afford it financially, militarily, politically, or any other "ly" you can think of, anymore.

 

[JeffWartman]

I think the United States and its allies should create a special force consisting of soldiers from non Islamic countries specially to combat terror in every part of the planet. I know we have NATO & ISAF etc but what the world needs right now is its very own anti-terror army

It's this type of failed thinking that cause terrorism in general. What you're talking about is the problem, not the solution.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Blowback-Second-Consequences-American-Empire/dp/0805075593/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203542376&sr=8-2"]Educate yourself[/ame]

 

[Paulie]

I think the United States and its allies should create a special force consisting of soldiers from non Islamic countries specially to combat terror in every part of the planet

You can't combat a tactic. Terrorism is a tactic. It can be such a microcosm, that it's impossible to rid the world of it. It can exist in the tiniest of houses, in the most remote locations in the world, and from there it can spread like a virus, even if you've eradicated the largest portions of it.

It mainly exists because it's the only tactic many politically disgruntled people around the world can use to take on countries with large militaries.

The more we keep pissing these people off by intervening on their holy land, and strong-arming them and their families, the more terrorism is going to spread, and be used.

It'll never be beaten. It's been used for millenia. All you can really do is cut back on the intervention, and secure your OWN country.

 

[jreeves]

I see the point you are making on expenditures, BOTH of which I believe need to be much lower, but as for the last thing you said...

When exactly do you think it will ever NOT be a mess in Iraq?

I mean, even if it somehow made a miraculous turnaround and violence became almost non-existent...that would obviously be our cue to leave...what if the warring sects in that country decided to start their shit again after we left, now that the US military isn't there to strong-arm them anymore?

I mean, the violence in that country may NEVER go away now that we probably irreversibly distrupted the veritable "harmony" they once had there.

Short of dividing that country up into 3 parts, I think we completely ruined the political stability within there.

At some point, you just gotta let it go and move on. What better time then RIGHT NOW, when we're teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in this country. A mistake is a mistake. We simply cannot afford it financially, militarily, politically, or any other "ly" you can think of, anymore.

First off, I believe the war in Iraq was justified. Ok, but I'm not in here debating the justification of the war. I believe you could go under the thread "Bush lied...." and see how I feel about the war. But if we look at the spending on "both" wars on terror they could cost us over 700 billion dollars(through this fiscal year). Yes this war will probably take some time before it is over. Understood. My point is that social spending never ends...it goes on and on and on....I'm sure you get the point. We should be more concerned with a spending that encourages further spending. For example, if we don't address the long term problem of poverty and just throw money at short term solutions then that will be the crux that seals this country going bankrupt. Our government would be better served to throw money at educating and employing our citizens than throwing money at anti-working policies....foodstamps,welfare,low income housing, medicaid...is that enough for you? If our government helped employ and educate our citizenary then that would grow the tax base not take from the tax pie....understand??

 

[jreeves]

I think the United States and its allies should create a special force consisting of soldiers from non Islamic countries specially to combat terror in every part of the planet. I know we have NATO & ISAF etc but what the world needs right now is its very own anti-terror army. Countries like U.K , U.S , Australia ,Germany, Israel ,& India can contribute towards the budget and manpower of this army.We have enough terrorism in Kashmir where there is a bloodbath almost everyday.

This will reduce U.S military spending.Personally , I think this would work. Because we have so many countries who are a part of this force terrorism can be curbed in almost every continent.

We should tell the Iraqi government, that they have to get their act together. We should set strict performance schedules, in other words your country has to field x number of soliders to take over security or we will take x number of dollars and benefits from aide packages. We should set our withdrawal of troops, when U.S. commanders have certified their newly trained security forces. This would be a phased withdrawal that would still take a lot of time to execute, but I believe this would provide the best chance of succeeding. Obviously, this is only the military side of the conflict. We have to find a way that the Shia's and Shittes can co-exist. That's the huge problem in Iraq not necessarily the military solution. Our troops have done a great job in restoring peace in Iraq recently. I will get back with you on the political solution.LOL

 

[jreeves]

We should tell the Iraqi government, that they have to get their act together. We should set strict performance schedules, in other words your country has to field x number of soliders to take over security or we will take x number of dollars and benefits from aide packages. We should set our withdrawal of troops, when U.S. commanders have certified their newly trained security forces. This would be a phased withdrawal that would still take a lot of time to execute, but I believe this would provide the best chance of succeeding. Obviously, this is only the military side of the conflict. We have to find a way that the Shia's and Shittes can co-exist. That's the huge problem in Iraq not necessarily the military solution. Our troops have done a great job in restoring peace in Iraq recently. I will get back with you on the political solution.LOL

I meant the shias and the sunnis co-existing

 

[nibor]

First off, I believe the war in Iraq was justified. Ok, but I'm not in here debating the justification of the war. I believe you could go under the thread "Bush lied...." and see how I feel about the war. But if we look at the spending on "both" wars on terror they could cost us over 700 billion dollars(through this fiscal year). Yes this war will probably take some time before it is over. Understood. My point is that social spending never ends...it goes on and on and on....I'm sure you get the point. We should be more concerned with a spending that encourages further spending. For example, if we don't address the long term problem of poverty and just throw money at short term solutions then that will be the crux that seals this country going bankrupt. Our government would be better served to throw money at educating and employing our citizens than throwing money at anti-working policies....foodstamps,welfare,low income housing, medicaid...is that enough for you? If our government helped employ and educate our citizenary then that would grow the tax base not take from the tax pie....understand??

The justification for the war in Iraq was what...............Saddam was a baaaaad man,bzzzzt, I'd say that what he proved in his tactics, they were probably justified to stop worse actions in his society, which are happening everyday, that we really understand NOTHING ABOUT and have NO control over, that the bleeding heart idiots can't begin to control nearly as affectively..................we've created anarchy.............unless that was the underlying plan anyhow to steal resources while everybody runs around killing eachother.

NOTHING deserves money thrown at it without first figuring out where TF WE'RE GOING.....................government jobs jobs jobs montra IS BULLSHIT and hard working families are collecting social service funds to eat, STAY WARM and keeping their kids healthy.

HOW TF can our gubment employ everyone,gubment jobs PRODUCE NOTHING that adds anything to the GNP or the wealth and value of this nation, they don't have a clue how to do their own jobs effectively now.

They helped in the ruination of our industial base, which was what ran the political taxation blackhole that has fallen apart and we have college gradeates tending bar and flippin' flippin' burgers on the side so they can take their kids to the doctor when they're sick and pay the mortgages on the cars they drive. THE GUBMENT has no clue OBVIOUSLY HOW TO STOP THE BLEEDING except to take us to war on pissant regimes like we're quickly becoming...................

Kids in my state are forced to take regency (college prep) courses whether they have the brains to do it or not, which retards and holds back the ones that do. So they lose and are cheated of a complete education if they don't do well, because vocational training is not prioritized anymore to train the ones that can't make the mental grade to be in the watercooler grabass geek crowd.............which is creating the scenario that it's not a matter of americans NOT WANTING TO DO THE JOB................THEY NO LONGER CAN DO THE JOBS FROM LACK OF CORRECT TRAINING!!!!!

 

[Warner]

Let's see here....Are you telling me now that you don't support the war in Afgan?
I know for a fact you don't support the war in Iraq.

But with that being said....War in Iraq and Afgan. since 2001=762 billion 7 years
Cost of Social programs in 2007(not counting Social Security)=680 billion in one year

Don't get me wrong I think we should get out of Iraq too but not to our nation's detriment by leaving a mess.

Your figures are deceptive. You are confusing the words "Social Programs" with "Entitlements". A huge portion of the Entitlements budget is Federal pensions - mostly military pensions. Of the US fed budget, even under Clinton, only about 4-6% (depending on what you include) went for what are traditionally considered "Social Programs" not counting Medicare and SS (which is funded separately), and that number is smaller today.

So I suppose what you really want is to reduce military pensions?

Here's a diagram showing the 2006 US Budget, not counting the additional "supplemental" spending for the War:

As I think can be clearly seen, the interest on the debt is the big concern.

 

[steeliniraq]

It's sheer knee-slapping comedy when Bush voters complain about federal spending.

While this war has cost a lot I am curious to how much this war has created. Does anyone have stats on how much revenue and jobs this war has created?

 

[jreeves]

The justification for the war in Iraq was what...............Saddam was a baaaaad man,bzzzzt, I'd say that what he proved in his tactics, they were probably justified to stop worse actions in his society, which are happening everyday, that we really understand NOTHING ABOUT and have NO control over, that the bleeding heart idiots can't begin to control nearly as affectively..................we've created anarchy.............unless that was the underlying plan anyhow to steal resources while everybody runs around killing eachother.

NOTHING deserves money thrown at it without first figuring out where TF WE'RE GOING.....................government jobs jobs jobs montra IS BULLSHIT and hard working families are collecting social service funds to eat, STAY WARM and keeping their kids healthy.

HOW TF can our gubment employ everyone,gubment jobs PRODUCE NOTHING that adds anything to the GNP or the wealth and value of this nation, they don't have a clue how to do their own jobs effectively now.

They helped in the ruination of our industial base, which was what ran the political taxation blackhole that has fallen apart and we have college gradeates tending bar and flippin' flippin' burgers on the side so they can take their kids to the doctor when they're sick and pay the mortgages on the cars they drive. THE GUBMENT has no clue OBVIOUSLY HOW TO STOP THE BLEEDING except to take us to war on pissant regimes like we're quickly becoming...................

Kids in my state are forced to take regency (college prep) courses whether they have the brains to do it or not, which retards and holds back the ones that do. So they lose and are cheated of a complete education if they don't do well, because vocational training is not prioritized anymore to train the ones that can't make the mental grade to be in the watercooler grabass geek crowd.............which is creating the scenario that it's not a matter of americans NOT WANTING TO DO THE JOB................THEY NO LONGER CAN DO THE JOBS FROM LACK OF CORRECT TRAINING!!!!!

Gubment and contributing to our GNP....smart comments let me tell you...brillant. The GNP would be what??

 

[jreeves]

Your figures are deceptive. You are confusing the words "Social Programs" with "Entitlements". A huge portion of the Entitlements budget is Federal pensions - mostly military pensions. Of the US fed budget, even under Clinton, only about 4-6% (depending on what you include) went for what are traditionally considered "Social Programs" not counting Medicare and SS (which is funded separately), and that number is smaller today.

So I suppose what you really want is to reduce military pensions?

Here's a diagram showing the 2006 US Budget, not counting the additional "supplemental" spending for the War:

As I think can be clearly seen, the interest on the debt is the big concern.

Social spending was 680 billion last year....here's the proof...

http://www.federalbudget.com/

 

[jreeves]

Gubment and contributing to our GNP....smart comments let me tell you...brillant. The GNP would be what??

My bad thought you were trying to say the GDP....which I know the gross national product and the GDP are the same thing..

 

[jreeves]

The justification for the war in Iraq was what...............Saddam was a baaaaad man,bzzzzt, I'd say that what he proved in his tactics, they were probably justified to stop worse actions in his society, which are happening everyday, that we really understand NOTHING ABOUT and have NO control over, that the bleeding heart idiots can't begin to control nearly as affectively..................we've created anarchy.............unless that was the underlying plan anyhow to steal resources while everybody runs around killing eachother.

NOTHING deserves money thrown at it without first figuring out where TF WE'RE GOING.....................government jobs jobs jobs montra IS BULLSHIT and hard working families are collecting social service funds to eat, STAY WARM and keeping their kids healthy.

HOW TF can our gubment employ everyone,gubment jobs PRODUCE NOTHING that adds anything to the GNP or the wealth and value of this nation, they don't have a clue how to do their own jobs effectively now.

They helped in the ruination of our industial base, which was what ran the political taxation blackhole that has fallen apart and we have college gradeates tending bar and flippin' flippin' burgers on the side so they can take their kids to the doctor when they're sick and pay the mortgages on the cars they drive. THE GUBMENT has no clue OBVIOUSLY HOW TO STOP THE BLEEDING except to take us to war on pissant regimes like we're quickly becoming...................

Kids in my state are forced to take regency (college prep) courses whether they have the brains to do it or not, which retards and holds back the ones that do. So they lose and are cheated of a complete education if they don't do well, because vocational training is not prioritized anymore to train the ones that can't make the mental grade to be in the watercooler grabass geek crowd.............which is creating the scenario that it's not a matter of americans NOT WANTING TO DO THE JOB................THEY NO LONGER CAN DO THE JOBS FROM LACK OF CORRECT TRAINING!!!!!

As I have said I am not here to debate the justification of the war....you can see that on "Bush lied thread"... What was Bush's motivation then, for going to war in Iraq?
When the top 50% wage earners in this country pay 97 % of the total federal income taxes, there is a problem. What are you suggesting, the top 50% wage earners or any other wage earner for that matter, should have to be forced to pay charity? Plus we all know the beautiful effectiveness of government anyway, as you admitted to in your last post. So we have these huge social beaucracies that are being ineffectively ran. That seems as though that is the definition of waste.
It seems as though you mistook my last statement, "employ our citizenary" as meaning I wanted the government to hire every person that was taking from social services. No, that's not what was meant. I meant that the government needs to provide an effective way of getting people off of social programs and into the working sector of society.
Socialism destroys the entreprenueral spirit of a nation because it takes success and penalizes it with higher taxes. Here's a link explaining the reasons Socialism is doomed to fail.
http://www.econlib.org/library/Mises/msSContents.html