The Associated Press reported today about the hidden costs of war. I include an excerpt:
The economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to total $1.6 trillion — roughly double the amount the White House has requested thus far, according to a new report by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee.
The report, released Tuesday, attempted to put a price tag on the two conflicts, including “hidden” costs such as interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars, lost investment, the expense of long-term health care for injured veterans and the cost of oil market disruptions.
The $1.6 trillion figure, for the period from 2002 to 2008, translates into a cost of $20,900 for a family of four, the report said. The Bush administration has requested $804 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined, the report stated.
For the Iraq war only, total economic costs were estimated at $1.3 trillion for the period from 2002 to 2008. That would cost a family of four $16,500, the report said.
The war in Iraq has cost the United States $1.3 trillion! I cannot believe the United States people let this happen. Of course, with so much money involved, it is no surprise that the interests of the people have been disregarded. When the tax-payers lose $1.3 trillion, that means a lot of corporations, lobbyists, and politicians make a lot of money.
The war in Iraq has made the people in the United States less safe by increasing anti-Americanism and over-stretching the military.
All that money could have been put towards actually protecting the people of the United States. Imagine if the government had instead put the $1.3 trillion towards preventing rape, murder, theft, and other forms of violence and victimization. Better yet, the money could have been refunded to the taxpayers. The taxpayers could have then used their own money to spend it on what they think they need most–be it personal security or something else. Imagine if each family had $16,500 more to spend on personal security.
What do you think?
