Trade-offs. What $700 billion COULD have bought for Americans. Staggering!

[chill_wind]

One of my favorite sites for tracking what the Iraq Occupation has cost the US in dollars has just added a plug-in for the proposed Wall Street Bailout.
It's in the drop down menu system. I like visualizations like this, because I have immense trouble getting my mind wrapped around such enormous amounts of money.

You can localize this by state and city, as well. Seems like it would make a great print-out, or some good talking points in a phone canvassing script....

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=888&program=581&tradeoff_item_item=999&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off



Taxpayers in the United States will pay $700 billion for the proposed bailout of Wall Street.

For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

206,309,535 People with Health Care for One Year OR

724,680,382 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR

308,526,346 Children with Health Care for One Year OR

108,225,108 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR

96,061,479 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR

15,118,790 Public Safety Officers for One year OR

12,004,287 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR

11,498,973 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR

10,113,780 Port Container Inspectors for One year


OR last, but not least importantly.....

5,445,234 Affordable Housing Units

[ramapo]

1. More like sickening

Of course we couldn't afford any of those items on your list. Just can't do it...sorry folks.

[chill_wind]

3. Staggering, sickening, enraging. And check out the TAX CUTS for the richest 10%.

"Taxpayers in the United States will pay $116.6 billion for tax cuts for the richest 10% in FY 2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:"

(see it!)


http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=888&program=276&tradeoff_item_item=999&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

[Jacobin]

2. Keep in mind that $700 billion is just the START

We all know they picked the lowest number they thought they could get away with. They'll be back in three months doubling and tripling that number if they get away with this heist.

Book it

[chill_wind]

4. Right! n/t

[curious one]

5. So sad.

[chill_wind]

6. Some 4-year figures--- think of it! (And take action-- link)

51.6 million people with health care for four years OR
#

181.2 million homes with renewable electricity for four years OR
#

2.9 million elementary school teachers for four years OR
#

27 million four-year scholarships for university students

$700 billion is more than what is currently allocated for the U.S. war in Iraq. This amount would allow us to repair all of our nations 77,000 deteriorated bridges and still have $519 billion to spend; or it would allow us to rebuild all of our nations 33,000 deteriorating schools and still have $664 billion to spend.

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/node/6885

Take action:

http://www.truemajority.org/

[readmoreoften]

7. And we might be paying it every damn year too.

[OakCliffDem]

8. K & R

[Greyhound]

9. Looked at from another angle, this is a list of what the parasites have stolen from us

just this year.

Add half the DoD and think about what we sacrifice on their alter.

[chill_wind]

10. Obama used the war-spending data from this site in Iowa

Youtube video of him reciting and carrying the numbers in his pocket.

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/NPP+Quoted+by+Barack+Obama

The MSM is just never, ever going to put the startling facts about the Bush/McCain war-spending economy into any kind of simple perspective for ordinary voters.
It's up to all of us.


It's a rich site with lots of printable charts, graphs and numbers. I hope every single DUer has this site bookmarked and will share the wealth of info and the message with every fence-sitter they encounter..

[chill_wind]

11. .. keep this in mind when you listen to the Imperial President tonite.

eom