Study: US has spent nearly $6T on war since 9/11

[workinclasszero]

BY REBECCA KHEEL - 11/14/18 12:22 PM EST

The United States is on track to have spent nearly $6 trillion on war since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a report released Wednesday.

The annual analysis from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University far exceeds Pentagon estimates because it looks at all war-related costs — including the Pentagon’s war fund, related spending at the State Department, veterans care and interest payments — for military operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

“We were told to expect wars that would be quick, cheap, effective and beneficial to the U.S. interest,” study author Neta Crawford said at a Capitol Hill news conference. “Because we finance these wars on a credit card, the costs of the wars themselves pose a national security challenge.”

The study estimates that war-related spending through fiscal 2019 will total $4.9 trillion. Another projected $1 trillion for veterans care through fiscal 2059 brings the total to $5.9 trillion, according to the study.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/416663-study-us-has-spent-nearly-6t-on-war-since-9-11

[gratuitous]

1. But look at all we have to show for this investment!

There's, uh, well, you know, er . . . aw fuck it, just wave your flag, Commie!

[workinclasszero]

11. Yeah filthy rich GOP MIC

Putting our military folks in a never ending meat grinder for profit!

[Solly Mack]

16. Exactly.

[guillaumeb]

2. War is the laregest US export. But it is called "defense" here.

And the trillions for war means that there is nothing for social safety programs.

Recommended.

[BSdetect]

3. Exactly was Eisenhower warned about.

[workinclasszero]

12. Totally

He was the last good republican IMO.

[jalan48]

4. Looks like somebody is making some money off of the taxpayers.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Time To Remind The Supporters Of "It". . .

. . .that Silverspoon attacked the WRONG COUNTRY! After 6 trillion bucks i think it's time that everybody(!) remembers that we spent a big chunk of that money warring with the wrong country.

[G_j]

6. Somebody has made a whole lot of money

folks like Dick Cheney for example.

[Loge23]

7. Why we can't have nice things

Last edited Wed Nov 14, 2018, 06:07 PM - Edit history (1)

It should also be said that our military is basically inept and unable to fight or win wars in the 21st century.
We're still running our military as a post-WW2 operation and we didn't learn a goddamn thing after losing 58,000+ Americans in Southeast Asia.
The fools who make these decisions could care less about cost or casualties - they are written in to the "strategic plan".
We spend billions on new battleships that can blown out the sea from a office somewhere.
Billions on aircraft that perform "surgical strikes" often including civilians and almost always to little "strategic" effect.
The personnel are collateral damage: misled, misinformed, and lied to.

The fools throw all of this on us - support the troops, thank you for your service - as if this is some kind of compensation for staying out of sight and out of mind in some fucking jungle, desert, or lunar landscape somewhere. The current administration uses the military for props - similar to what we saw from past R admins.

The rank and file military should realize exactly who the real enemy is.

[avebury]

8. I can't remember where I read it because it was so long ago --

When a country begins to consume more and more of its resources towards military spending that will begin the downward spiral for that country. The USSR collapsed because it could not keep pace with the US military spending. The Brits were the world leader and their numerous wars turned them into a decline. The obsession in the US for military spending is not helping us at all because we aren't taking care of our own country and our own people.


What good does it do to have the biggest military in the world if there is nothing to protect? That is where we are headed.

[haele]

9. Legal MJ or cheap Xanax perscriptions to the fearful authoritarian types would cost less.

War spending is part of a greed/fear co-dependency. The Greedy need to install Fear into the majority so that they'll accept increased war spending.
Get some good National Mental Health going and mellow everyone out, and less of the majority would become fearful enough to agree to that monstrous amount of spending. It will be cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run. The Greedy will have to find another market to go to for their "own the world" ego-boos.

Haele

[workinclasszero]

14. +1

See: The Roman Empire

[davekriss]

10. add another $10 trillion in tax giveaways

That includes the 2 tax cuts for the rich enacted by GWB, and the $1.5 trillion Trump has already given the rich.

[mitch96]

13. Even HALF of that would be a whole lot of infrastructure spending....

That would make tons of jobs and keep the economy moving... sad..
m

[exboyfil]

15. Two times the Social Security Trust Fund

Which was money taxed from the working class and not the wealth class which did little to contribute to it or the higher income earners who carry a much smaller percentage of the load based on their income than those making $60 to $115K.