Report: Wars costing $12 billion a month

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

Report: Wars costing $12 billion a month
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The boost in troop levels in Iraq has increased the cost of war there and in Afghanistan to $12 billion a month, and the total for Iraq alone is nearing a half-trillion dollars, congressional analysts say.

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.

The figures come from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which provides research and analysis to lawmakers.

For the 2007 budget year, CRS says, the $166 billion appropriated to the Pentagon represents a 40 percent increase over 2006.

The Vietnam War, after accounting for inflation, cost taxpayers $650 billion, according to separate CRS estimates.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070709/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_costs

[earthboundmisfit]

1. Jeebus. Think how much GOOD could be done with $12 Billion a month.

(With 12 billion PERIOD, for that matter.)
The entire Gulf Coast could recover. Farmers could get help so they can continue. Everyone would have health care. Everyone would have enough to eat. The soon-to-be water crisis could be addressed. Hell, clean, affordable, effective alternatives to fossil fuel could DAMN well be put into place for that kind of money. And a thousand more things I'm sure. Of course we don't really have that money to begin with, but it's funny to me that we'll go ahead and spend it - for war & death.

[Javaman]

2. Well the U.S. was interesting while it lasted. nt

[donkeyotay]

3. Ah, for the good old days. Shock and Awe was only costing about $2B/mo

We've had some serious inflation.

[donkeyotay]

13. My bad. The war was costing $2B/wk or about $8B/month

Which is still a serious case of inflation.

[Rambis]

4. High speed rail across the country

think of the job creation? Nah, lets make more war!:mad:

[superconnected]

5. Yes, we are being looted by conscienceless blood thirsty thugs.

[cureautismnow]

6. That could buy an awful lot of universal health care.

Yes, I know, priorities, priorities... :eyes:

[genie_weenie]

7. Money well spent

We are killing off children
We are funding a massive merc army under the command of fundamentalist Erik Prince, as well as several small ones
We are transfering the wealth of America to Boeing, Halliburton, Blackwater, et al
We are setting up a puppet regime in order to siphon off the wealth of Iraq to ExxonMobil, BP
We are creating copious amounts of propaganda for religious zealots to use in recruiting new ignorant fanatical soldiers of god (the other side)
We are destroying the semblance of republican democracy in the US

Great Job!

[ckramer]

8. Meanwhile, 18,000 Americans die each year because lacking of

healthcare insurance.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. yet no money for healthcare?

[northzax]

10. someone on Political Animal

came up with using "IMs" or IraqMonths as a new fiscal unit. $24 billion would be "2 IMs", etc. brilliant.

[19jet54]

11. And while our grandchildren are going into debt...

... the democratic Iraqi officials are stealing billions to buy a beach house in France - and the poor are left to drown and die? Oh wait, that was New Orleans? Well, same difference really! I guess they did learn the Bush form of democracy?

[CountAllVotes]

12. U.S. OUT OF IRAQ & THE MIDDLE EAST NOW!

Enough is ENOUGH god damnit!!!

Throw these treasonous losers out now and try them all for the war crimes they have committed!

IMPEACH & END ALL WARS!!!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

:dem: :kick:

[mvd]

14. When you are beholden to defense contractors..

that "fiscal responsibility" mantra sure goes down the drain quickly.

[MiserableFailure]

15. We've only spent 500 billion on Iraq?

I thought we had spent close to a trillion. Sure seems like it anyway

[1932]

16. One man's cost is another man's profit.

[SpiralHawk]

17. "We need more, more, more." - corrupt republicon crony war profiteers

"Smirk, smirk, smirk. Bring it on. Smirk."

-- corrupt Republicon crony war profiteers