Healthcare vs. Warfare: $100 Billion for Health Care or $100 Billion for Iraq and Afghanistan Wars? [View All]

[Orwellian_Ghost]

$100 Billion for U.S. Health Care or $100 Billion for Iraq and Afghanistan Wars each year?

Afghanistan, Iraq War Funding - Health Care for U.S. Citizens, same cost.

For some time now, the costs of the U.S. preemptive actions in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost us almost $1 TRILLION U.S. Dollars.

Today, Jeff Leys story “Healthcare vs. Warfare: The Future Costs of the Afghanistan War" spells out in detail the cost of the wars verses what could be done with those dollars here strengthening America. It is a Must Read.

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From Jeff Leys story: (Ed. Note: President Obama has all ready addressed the Joint Session of Congress)

On Wednesday, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on health care. Later this year he will decide whether to deploy additional troops to the war in Afghanistan, in addition to the 69,000 troops already deployed. The struggle for health care and the struggle to end warfare are inextricably linked. The cost for substantive (though imperfect) health care reform as envisioned in the House of Representatives approach (with the public option) is projected to average $100 billion per year for the next 10 years. The cost to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are projected to cost anywhere from $55 to $100 billion a year. Make a few modest reductions to the baseline military budget and the difference is paid.

The choice is clear: healthcare or warfare; the Common Good or Common Destruction.

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http://outofcentralasianow.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/100-billion-for-u-s-health-care-or-100-billion-for-iraq-and-afghanistan-wars-each-year/

Healthcare vs. Warfare: The Future Costs of the Afghanistan War

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The publication “Inside the Pentagon” reports:

“Now, as the Pentagon weighs the FY-11 base budget and OCO requests submitted by the services on August 14, it is finding the services’ FY-11 OCO requests are larger than expected. Instead of a ‘substantial’ decrease tied to the draw down in Iraq, the OCO total is ‘roughly flat’ compared with FY-10, a Pentagon official said, noting it is only a bit under the FY-10 level.”

In other words, the military services seem to be seeking $120 to $130 billion in war funds for 2011, during a time period when ostensibly the U.S. will be reducing troop levels in Iraq and at a time when much is made about the $100 billion per year projected cost for providing substantive (though not perfect) healthcare reform. (“OCO” is the new term of art for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the abbreviation for Overseas Contingency Operations.)

These initial requests likely will be modified to some extent as they wind their way through the Department of Defense and the White House. However, the size of these requests indicate the importance of current organizing efforts to end funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and occupations.

Regrettably, though, it gets worse, as the U.S. will, without substantive troop reductions, likely continue to expend anywhere from $70 billion to $100 billion per year to continue on-going military operations in Afghanistan in 2012 and beyond.

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http://ampedstatus.com/healthcare-vs-warfare-the-future-costs-of-the-afghanistan-war