Joe Fields
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:11 PM
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The Financial Cost Of This War |
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So far, we will have spent $151 billion through this fiscal year, on the war/occupation in Iraq. That works out to $3,415 for every household in the United States.
According to a report done by the Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington based think tank, the $151 billion was enough to cut world hunger in half, as well as cover HIV/AIDS medicine, childhood immunization and clean water and sanitation needs of all developing countries for more than two years.
Here are some of my own figures:
If we were doing what we should to make our country safer and more secure, the $151 billion we are spending on Iraq would be able to cover :
$18.3 million shortfall in the border patrol budget.
Cuts that total $253 million to the Border and Transportation Directorate, which, among other things, is in charge of coming up with a rail safety plan. Currently, because of a lack of money and a lack of serious concern, there is no plan to better secure our rails from terrorism.
$79 million slashed from the Port Security budget.
$1 billion in funding cuts to law enforcement agencies.
$245 million in cuts to firefighter grants.
$233 million in cuts to the bioterrorism budget
$800 million shortfall to the First Responders budget.
$10 billion in an unfunded mandate for inter-operable communications equipment for police, fire and medical personnel in cities around the country.
$900 million to fund a study assessing water systems vulnerability. That cost does not include what it would cost to actually safeguard our nation's water systems.
$100 million worth of needed smallpox vaccinations.
All this doesn't cover the $29 billion gap in security funding that the states face.
The total cost to better protect our country would be roughly $42.5 billion, for a savings of over 108 billion dollars. The savings in human cost is incalculable.
Joe Fields
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:20 PM
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1. there is no war on terror, nor war in iraq |
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the war republicans fight is against our own federal government, against new deal programs, and against taxes.
'iraq' and 'terror' are merely propaganda covers and distractions to allow for funds to be drained from the treasury and into the hands of already filthy rich republican contributors.
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Joe Fields
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:40 PM
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BlueEyedSon
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:24 PM
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2. More on the Cost of War |
Joe Fields
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Mon Jun-28-04 02:03 PM
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FloridaPat
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:27 PM
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3. Number doesn't include salaries of military. That's paid from DOD |
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budget. I'm sure there are other hidden costs too.
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Kanary
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:27 PM
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4. How about the thousands of poor folk cut next year from housing? |
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Guess that doesn't figure into it, as they will all die silently.
What about the housing cuts the year after? They'll die quietly, too.
What about the coming cuts to disability? More silent deaths.
What is *security*? Is it only for the middle class?
Kanary
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Joe Fields
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:39 PM
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5. More than 150,000 by my sources |
Kanary
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Mon Jun-28-04 01:47 PM
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7. Yup, over 100,000 to 130,000 vouchers cut |
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The actual people affected will be much more.
Why doesn't this count in your figures, if you already knew about it?
Invisible?
Kanary
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Wed May 08th 2024, 11:27 PM
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