Reuters:Wars cost average U.S. family $20,000 - Reuters

[heyholetsgogrant]

Wars cost average U.S. family $20,000 - Reuters
Democrats say hidden costs double price of conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON - A new study by congressional Democrats says "hidden costs" have driven the price of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to about $1.5 trillion, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

That figure is nearly double the $804 billion the White House has spent or requested, according to the report by the Democratic staff of Congress's Joint Economic Committee, which examines the hidden costs of the wars, the Post said.

According to the panel, the hidden costs include higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments on money borrowed to pay for the wars, the newspaper said.

Source:Reuters

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21766479

[Midnight Judges]

I don't think anyone is going to complain about the war in Afghanistan because we are fighting the people who attacked us. But I do find it interesting that Republicans complain about Democrats being realistic regarding taxes when they are the ones who spent like drunken sailors on a war in Iraq that has basically nothing to do with securing our homelend.

[alexey]

Over EIGHT HUNDRED BILLION mother#$%#$%ing dollars!!!

$800,000,000,000

[Midnight Judges]

Of course none of this is related to taxes so it doesn't matter.

[dwbiggs]

Whats scary is to think that if we had not spent that 1.5 trillion on the war where would it have gone...I don't see where we would see any difference in our everyday lives if it stayed here.

[GibbsFactor]

People wonder why our foreign policy directly relates to our economic woes...

[Kilmer17]

I still think it's sad that people cant comprehend that the Bush tax cuts have made MORE money for the Govt.

[Kilmer17]

How much are our bloated gimme gimme programs costing each household?

I'd much rather pay to fight a war than make sure grandpa can get cheap meds.

At least the war benefits (or hurts) each of us in the same manner, save those that are fighting. Our handout programs only hep a few while hurting us all.

[DjTj]

I still think it's sad that people cant comprehend that the Bush tax cuts have made MORE money for the Govt.

You can't say that with any kind of certainty ... any tax cut will increase receipts in the short-term because people will report deferred income, but whether the tax cut directly caused any economic effect is debatable.

At least the war benefits (or hurts) each of us in the same manner, save those that are fighting. Our handout programs only hep a few while hurting us all.

So let's say there was a choice between (a) throwing $20k of your money into a hole in the ground, and (b) having $20k of your money distributed to seniors for prescription drugs.

Would you choose (a) because it hurts us all in the same manner? That's the same kind of misguided idea of "equality" that leads us to dumb down our school curricula and hand out first-place ribbons to everyone. In the real world, some people need more help than others.

[Kilmer17]

You can't say that with any kind of certainty ... any tax cut will increase receipts in the short-term because people will report deferred income, but whether the tax cut directly caused any economic effect is debatable.
So let's say there was a choice between (a) throwing $20k of your money into a hole in the ground, and (b) having $20k of your money distributed to seniors for prescription drugs.

Would you choose (a) because it hurts us all in the same manner? That's the same kind of misguided idea of "equality" that leads us to dumb down our school curricula and hand out first-place ribbons to everyone. In the real world, some people need more help than others.

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs? eh comrade?

The broad war on terror is much much much more important than almost all of our bloated welfare type programs.

Those are what are really sucking the wind out of our sails.

[jwpanic]

wow. put half of that $800 billion into discovering alternate fuel sources and imagine the possibilities.

[GibbsFactor]

wow. put half of that $800 billion into discovering alternate fuel sources and imagine the possibilities.

Victory in the war on terror?

[jwpanic]

Victory in the war on terror?

never stepping foot anywhere in the middle east again

[DjTj]

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs? eh comrade?

Yes, I think that is the result we should aspire to, but communism has proven to be the incorrect means to achieve it. Capitalism is the best system to achieve efficient distribution of labor and capital, and government can play an important role in removing impediments to free competition.

The broad war on terror is much much much more important than almost all of our bloated welfare type programs.

Those are what are really sucking the wind out of our sails.

This is a much stronger argument than "war hurts us all equally." I agree that fighting terrorism is very important and that's why we're willing to spend money on it ... but there is some dollar amount where it won't be worth it anymore.

I don't think we're actually close to a point where the price tag should justify us stopping though; the debate now is more about the effectiveness of our tactics rather than the money spent ... and I think that's the same approach we should take to many entitlement programs - don't cut them because of cost; cut them because they aren't working.

[GibbsFactor]

never stepping foot anywhere in the middle east again

We'll that is kinda all we need to do.