According to Joseph Stiglitz, the cost of the Iraq war ( not including the incalcuable loss to families of young men and women) will cost Americans 1-2 trillion, probably closer to the larger figure. WHY?

Well as an economist, he added to the on going emergency budget to fund the war with these additional cost burdens:

1) the increase in the defense budget attributable to the Iraq war

2) the cost of health care for the thousands of Vets who are coming home disabled

3)the lost earning potential of these vets

4)the increase cost of oil attributable to the Iraq war

5)the multiplier affect of all these losses to the economy. In other words, when you spend a million to build a bridge within the country, the money circulates and provided economic growth while Iraq war spending is primarily lost to the economy.

6) The future deficit. Each time it is calculated, it presumes that war spending ends tomorrow. Obviously, that is not so.

I have forgotten much of what he had to say, but the jist of it is that the cost will be a great deal more than the administration admits to. Put in perspective, the total would likely fix Social Security for 75 years 3-4 TIMES OVER.

Bush put it on the charge card. Our children will pay for it.

(of coursel, we can kiss our Social Security and Medicare goodbye)

I can't think of any money that is spent in the U.S. anymore that goes to upgrading anything that would actually pay for itself. Hell if we did spend money on something that actualy had any worth to it our government would just sell it to another country, like our ports. At least they sold the ports unlike just giving away the Panama Canal.

You can expect them to sell all the roads someday. I heard that all cars would be required to have GPS on them and everyone would be taxed by the mile. So in effect all roads would become toll roads. That would make it an attractive asset to sell off for the people plundering this nation. I think they already sold some toll roads to Spain. What a deal. The taxpayers pay to build them and they sell them like they own them. No wonder all politicians leave congress rich as hell.

I just heard on MSNBC that the NSA is BUYING information from 3rd parties

your TAX dollars at work to see what kind of pizza you like.
the taxes on the pizza you buy goes to the government through a private contractor, to tell them what kind of pizza you buy.
wish they would just call me up.
i would tell them straight up....
I HATE ANCHOVIES.

and you can bet the private contractors
are companies owned by NEO_CON's
probably getting 10x what it really costs.bet YOU will never know that
cos its a secret
shh.....

http://server4.ihostphotos.com/show.php?id=58584

http://911review.org

Can you put a dollar figure on a nuclear detonation in New York City?

I can't. What does that have to do with the war in Iraq?

Or with the government's spying on Americans, lets also not forget the new U.S. embassy thats being built in Iraq which will cost a few million and is scheduled to be completed next summer. Thats right, America actually plans to get something done. If only the same could be said for the schools, power, water, roads, etc. that Iraq was promised.

__________________
“Capitalism cannot reform itself; it is doomed to self-destruction. No universal selfishness can bring social good to all.” —Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois

I bet $20 this post is ignored by Jellyfish.

We all know Rome (Maybe ~1 million people) was built in a day.
We expect better from our politicians in dealing with Baghdad, and Iraq in general.

BTW. Do you think that little country club (embassy) is comparable to Kerry's mansion?

This is comic book logic at work.
Let the villain strike first, and then react.