Each US citizen pays $5,000 per year for US defense spending

[Charleston Chew]

Run time: 01:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h5xo-fEuNE   Posted on YouTube: March 06, 2011 By YouTube Member: Presstvusdesk Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 06, 2011 By DU Member: Charleston Chew Views on DU: 1263

 
'Each US citizen pays $5,000 per year for US defense spending'

American citizens are paying large amounts of money each year for U.S. defense spending, which can be used for domestic spending, Steve Breyman, assistant professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said.

"Each and every citizen in the United States - man, woman and child - pays some $5,000 or so per year for U.S. defense spending much of which is associated now with the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan", he told Press TV's U.S. Desk.

If the federal government had not spent some $1 trillion on the wars, that money would have been available for "domestic spending including the balance in the budget," Breyman said. "You can have healthy public finances or you can have war but you can't have both," he added.


In Iraq and Afghanistan, some 200,000 people are employed by subcontractors. Raw Story

By the end of 2008, the U.S. had spent approximately $900 billion in direct costs on Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Some experts estimate indirect costs such as interest on the additional debt will exceed the direct costs. Red Ice Creation

However, prominent economics professor Joseph E. Stiglitz says the true cost of the Iraq war is beyond $3 trillion. Washington Post

According to the Congressional Budget Office, defense spending grew 9% annually on average from fiscal year 2000-2009.

In Iraq, reconstruction efforts have been plagued by poor management, mishandling of reconstruction funds, inadequate coordination with Iraqis and widespread attacks on construction sites and contractors as documented by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). NYT

A 2005 report stated that nearly $9 billion of reconstruction fund was lost by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). CNN

http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/168192.html

[ixion]

1. That makes every taxpayer in the US a mass murderer and a sponsor of terror, by proxy

isn't that grand? :(

[Lorien]

8. It does, and it makes me sick! And yet the RW whines about being "forced" to spend

a dollar or so a year to keep Big Bird on the air, or a few more dollars to teach the next generation-you know, the ones who will run the Nation when we're all elderly? Yet 5k to murder people that have done nothing to us-THAT they'll cheer about!

[TatonkaJames]

2. A 2005 report stated that nearly $9 billion of reconstruction fund was lost by the Coalition Provisi

That's silly, who would misappropriate easily had money shipped on pallets in time of war ?
Certainly not those who started it and are the only ones smiling now. IN fact, Bremmer's
been mighty quite since leaving there.

[Charleston Chew]

3. Iraq's Missing Billions - Dispatches investigats Iraqs missing money.

The coalition was given trusteeship of nearly 20 billion dollars of Iraq's money, nearly all of it was spent with no accountability and records. Fraud and corruption rampantly consumed much of these funds. Paul Bremer who headed the Coalition Provisional Authority made certain that as much of the money was spent as possible.

"Iraq's Missing Billions - Dispatches investigats Iraqs missing money" has some heartbreaking stories of actual Iraqi citizens and their children. Shows that the infrastructure, especially water and hospitals, which supposedly had billions spent on it though is still in shambles. Where did the money go!?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x560203

[JDPriestly]

11. Paul Bremer -- per Wikipedia last seen with

Global Secure Corp. provides an integrated platform of products and services for the homeland security industry primarily in the United States. Its primary software solution includes Global Secure Response Manager, a Web-based portal, communication, collaboration, and alerting system that enables real-time collaboration and communication. The company also develops and manages training programs and customized exercises for critical incident response applications, as well as provides hazardous materials management services. In addition, Global Secure develops, manufactures, and sells safety products that include self-contained breathing apparatus and filtered air respirators that provide protection against the inhalation of biological and chemical contaminants; and other specialized safety products, which protect critical incident responders and industrial users from harmful environmental conditions. The company sells its products through direct sales force, manufacturers representatives, and distributors to federal, state, and local governmental authorities, such as the Department of Homeland Security; law enforcement agencies; fire departments; public health organizations; and emergency response agencies. The company was formerly known as GlobalSecure Holdings Ltd. and changed its name to Global Secure Corp. in July 2005. Global Secure Corp. was founded in 2003 and is based in Alexandria, Virginia.

[marias23]

4. The War Budget:The Elephant in the Room

This is the most important post you will read this week. The budget problem will NEVER be solved until the military budget is reduced - I am guessing by 50%.

[civilisation]

5. War is all about profit$,. always has been..,

this is how they (banksters, sociopathic greed mongering death-eaters) have transfered wealth from the many to the few. The US has been at war, in distant lands, all my life,. and has never been invaded, or even threatened with invasion. (9/11 and other "terror" attack sources are highly suspect, who had to gain? the war machine of course!) the ppl are sold this war machine propaganda, and they pay for war contractors, arms manufactures, etc., and the money is taken from the many and handed to the few,. all the while the standard of living drops and the land is raped and degraded,. . All the money wasted on munitions achieved nothing of value and in fact destroys value where they are used..,

But the people are still too comfertable to fight against this system of oppresion and usery? pathetic really..,

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Charleston Chew]

7. Right on dude!

Thanks for sharing. You should comment more often.

[Charleston Chew]

9. NO FUN!

Come on moderator!
What is up with that?
I need comments like that as to open a door for much greater points.

I do hope that DU'er comes back to play.

[FailureToCommunicate]

10. Let's see, since children don't PAY taxes, the amount is actually HIGHER per taxpayer??

[Charleston Chew]

12. Kucinich: What are we going to Sacrifice for War?

Kucinich Brings the Cost of War to Budget Debate

WASHINGTON - January 24 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today opened up the debate on efforts to cut the federal budget by pointing out that more than half of our discretionary spending is consumed by the budget for the Pentagon and asking what Americans are willing to sacrifice for war.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x547438