3.000.000.000.000 dollar...!

Article in the newspaper today:

"American economist and Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard professor Linda Bilmes have calculated that the war in Iraq will cost 3 trillion dollars, yes, twelve zero's. This is without the costs on the long term... This year 12,5 billion dollars go to the war in Iraq per month. Toghether with the war in Afganistan, the counter shows 16 billion dollars per month, wich equals the complete budget of the UN for a whole year."

Damn... that's a whole lot of taxpayers money!!

DeepCreekNauti wrote: Can anyone remember the last time anyone elected has offered to lower the tax rates on fuel or change it to a flat rate system?

Mike Huckabee had a plan...

Kritof, I just remembered one of the few things I knew about Belgium, Frabrique National or FN, maker of some of the worlds finest, and some of my favorite sporting arms.

Steve, Don't mean to cut in here but I don't remember if you were able to fix the vinyl lettering problem?

Kristof, those numbers are misleading.
Those are the total numbers which include the pay for the soldiers and the equipment they use. The same soldiers and equipment that taxes pay for when they are not overseas. The hazardous duty pay is extra.
Also the fuel they use is being provided by Iraq but that is probably being included too.

Do not get me wrong, there is major cost to this war but not to the extent that they advertise.

critter wrote: The same soldiers and equipment that taxes pay for when they are not overseas. The hazardous duty pay is extra.

True for those who are full-time active duty, not so much for those in the reserves and guard when they go back home.

How much extra is hazardous duty pay these days. I don't recally it being that much, relatively speaking.

Kristof, can you buy and posess guns in Belgium like a Browning Gold 12 ga auto shotgun or a Browning BAR 3006 rifle? Or a Browning Hi Power 9MM pistol? Or a semi auto FN FAL?

Bummer for you.

Kristof: Anybody mention lately what a great addition you've been here? Well I will. Another very interesting guy added to our ranks.

john

Joseph Stiglitz came and talked to the junior and senior grades at my school about a month ago. One of the more interesting points he made was how the demand for avacados went up drastically in early feb and late jan due to the superbowl...

On a more serous note.. Yea, war can spark the economy through the gov't increasing spending on American products (planes, tanks, etc..) But, what's unique about this war is that this money is not being fully invested in the American economy. Our current administration has decided to fund private American corporations to supply people that do the jobs American soldiers used to/are supposed to do. All the "dirty work," or "behind the scenes" work, like preparing food, transporting this and that, etc. is now done by the US corportations. But, the catch is that they're hiring Iraqis--that is where the money goes (part of it). This war has cost way more than it ever should have...

sorry for the tangent...