Can you think of better uses for the $3 billion plus/month Obama is spending in Afghanistan?

[Karmadillo]

Schools? Jobs? Health care?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389

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Apart from the human toll, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost 768.8 billion dollars so far and by the end of this fiscal year, the price tag will approach one trillion.

The average monthly cost of Afghan operations comes to more than three billion and will continue to grow as more troops pour in.

Moving soldiers and supplies across the rugged Afghan landscape costs more than in Iraq, with the military consuming 83 liters or 22 gallons of fuel per soldier per day.

War spending will feed a ballooning deficit that some analysts fear could undermine the fragile US economy, while liberals in Congress worry the costly mission will wipe out prospects for Obama's bold domestic reform agenda.

The president faces the task of convincing skeptical Americans that the war is worth more sacrifices in blood and treasure.

[mike_c]

1. U.S. out of Iraq and Afghanistan NOW!

eom

[libodem]

2. Fund some late term abortions?

Murder is murder? Or is some worse than others?

[ZombieHorde]

3. Technically, I believe "murder" is a legal term.

I have to say I was not expecting someone to try to make this thread about abortion. Have fun with that.

[niyad]

7. oh, we knew somebody would weigh in from the pro-forced birthers--

I always fimd it interesting that they are also opposed to contraception, sex education, and pre-natal care (as was pointed out in a thread I read last night--although it was probably from several days ago,universal health care saves the lives of feti)

there is so much we can do with that money.

[LibDemAlways]

4. The admin. would probably argue that the

uptick in Afghanistan is creating jobs. Check out these current listings:

http://www.indeed.com/q-Afghanistan-jobs.html

[AndyA]

5. $3 billion would likely provide health care for quite a few Americans who don't have it.

It could also fund infrastructure projects here in the U.S. to create jobs here, instead of sending people overseas to get shot at.

I read this morning on MSNBC that Bushco was close enough to touch Osama at Bora Bora, and they didn't get him. So much for doing such a bang up job protecting us. The failure to capture Osama bin Laden has allowed the Taliban to get much stronger, according to the article. :(

[DJ13]

6. Massive expansion of the food stamp program

Were going to need it at the rate good paying jobs arent being created here in the US.

[LWolf]

8. Schools, jobs, & healthcare...you said it. nt

[niyad]

9. schools, jobs, health care, infrastructure, housing, parks, libraries,

community gardens, a whole panoply of good things, not just here, but all around the world.

I am sick of our money being used to fund the engines and merchants of death.

[spinbaby]

10. It costs a million dollars per soldier per year

Or so I heard on TV this morning. A better idea would be to bring all the soldiers back and hand them each a million dollars. No more expensive and it stimulates the economy.

[Sinti]

11. Build a bonfire at least it would keep some homeless folks warm. n/t

[glitch]

12. That investiment in a new (green) infrastructure would explode JOBS, the multiplier

in infrastructure investment is greatly improved over military.

[L. Coyote]

13. Better yet, DO NOT incur the debt and destroy the global economy with WAR funding,

which is just throwing human productivity into a black hole, or worse still if it is unpaid debt future generation need to pay off with interest.

[bvar22]

14. This is NOT money we could use.

THIS bill is being sent to our children.

THIS is money our children will NOT be able to use.
They will be forced to PAY for Obama's Folly.

[StarfarerBill]

15. Rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq...

...with local labor and resources, not American contractors.

[chill_wind]

16. Always. Take a look at what 3 billion would have bought

the whole state of New Mexico, for example, with change to spare-- for a year:

744,151 People with Health Care for One Year OR

988,352 Children with Health Care for One Year OR

28,417 Affordable Housing Units OR

4,356,967 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR

520,657 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350 OR

658,514 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR

401,197 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR

54,101 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR

72,374 Public Safety Officers for One year

more...

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=35&program=585&tradeoff_item_item=999&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

Take a look at YOUR states or cities. I've mentioned this before, but Pres Obama occasionally pulled spending data from this database to attack the Bush/McBush war machine on their war spending priorities.. while he was out on the campaign trail.

[Karmadillo]

19. Thank you for the link. Kind of depressing to see what we're passing up.

nt

[chill_wind]

20. We cannot afford this war.

eom

[datasuspect]

17. monorail

monorail.

[Lyric]

18. Get rid of PRWORA and put it toward the newly-restored AFDC.

And Food Stamp program. And Medicaid.

[mullard12ax7]

21. I say we spend $1 billion a month getting rid of the un-rec'd feature!

Things like prosecuting the worst political and war criminals in the history of the United States can wait!

[JanMichael]

22. Stop it! HE has a PLAN that we are all too STUPID to UNDERSTAND!

Or else it is the same old same old horseshit imperialistic barbaric money focused and owned garbage.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. Put people to work repairing our infrastructure and building

mass transit and high-speed rail across the country to lower our dependence on foreign oil.

[C_Lawyer09]

26. Listen, I'm with you on redeployment from Afghanistan

I'm with you on consolidating our current force structure, I'm even with you on updating our crumbling infrastructure, but: Consider who takes advantage of mass transit, car pooling, and other public transportation now. The only thing that will push enough US citizens to embrace alternatives to driving is a massive rise in fuel prices. This is also the only event that will force enough private investment enabling high speed rail and like alternatives to come to fruition.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. It's a chicken and egg thing

Fuel prices will have to be awfully high to dissuade the Hummer drivers and other affluent, unnecessary consumers of fuel, but if we JUST raise prices, who will be hurt the most? Poor people in areas without public transit, people who have to drive inefficient old clunkers because that's all they can afford.

Build transit in the cities and poor rural areas (vans that circulate like school buses, only all day?) first, and then tax the hell out of gasoline until people learn that yes, they can survive in a small car or by not driving at all.

[C_Lawyer09]

30. Your rationale is good

But, be advised, over the years I've helped some friends, usually single moms get into some affordable and reliable transportation that were inefficient clunkers: 1991 Toyota Corolla, $1200, 89' Mazda 323, $1050, and a 1991 Honda Civic, $1,250. Usually a mechanic will do a complete diagnostic for 35-40 bucks. Each of these vehicles got 30 plus mpg. The Civic, with a K&N air filter got 37 hwy and 31 city. Matter of fact, I think that would be a good small business idea. So I don't neccessarily subscribe whole heartedly to the notion of "destined to drive an inefficient vehicle. Also, I think the program was flawed in that it mandated 21 hwy MPG, which I wouldn't call efficient. Secondly, I lived in Raeford NC for several years, both rural and poor. They had the program you speak of, and it was scrapped for lack of use. Not trying to split hairs, but your premise is built on generalities.

[eleny]

24. This time tomorrow night all those dreams will have gone up in smoke

[flvegan]

25. Somewhere, Grovelbot is weeping.

[TexasObserver]

28. Yes. Anything.

[yodoobo]

29. Unfortunately, its not money we have. Its extra debt

Its not like we have an extra 3 billion laying around and have decided to fight a war with it instead of curing cancer.

Every single nickle is borrowed.

It would be as if I were going to put a big screen tv on my credit card, and instead decided to put a new couch on it instead.

The best use, would be to not spend it at all.