Libyan war will soon cost the US $1 billion with the establishment and maintenance of a no-fly zone

[Cali_Democrat]

$225 million worth of tomahawks have already been fired by US ships...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Libya-attacks-spark-fight-cnnm-3696909505.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Libya attacks spark fight over cost
CNNMoney.com
Jennifer Liberto, senior writer, On Wednesday March 23, 2011, 8:34 am EDT


With the tab already running into the hundreds of millions of dollars, the U.S. military intervention in Libya has sparked a debate over funding.

To date, the United States has spent some $225 million firing Tomahawk missiles, according to CNN estimates based on U.S. Navy figures.

The cost could reach up to $800 million to fully establish the no-fly zone and another $100 million a week to maintain it going forward, said Zack Cooper, a senior analyst for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

Even with spending out of favor in Washington, defense costs remain among the most controversial in the debate over how to reduce deficits.

Read more...
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Libya-attacks-spark-fight-cnnm-3696909505.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

[DJ13]

1. A billion would buy a lot of

.... cat food for our seniors that have seen no COLA for two + years.

[zbdent]

6. pshaw ...

that was two days of war under Bush43 ...

[ClarkUSA]

8. There's been no COLA because low inflation levels haven't warranted one.

[DJ13]

11. Food inflation alone was 2.1% over the last year

I guess you dont live on a fixed income?

[ClarkUSA]

13. Do you have a source? I believe the overall inflation rate was too low to trigger a COLA.

Here's someone who says the same thing I am in a LTTE in Dec. 2010:
http://www.standard.net/topics/opinion/2010/12/10/absence-cola-means-obama-kept-inflation-down

US Inflation Not High Enough | 15th Oct 2010
http://politifi.com/news/US-Inflation-Not-High-Enough-1216269.html

"According to government estimates, the cost of living compared to inflation does not warrant a cost of living adjustment."
http://www.worldnewsheardnow.com/social-security-gets-no-cola-again/3304/

[DJ13]

16. I was wrong, it was actually 2.3%

Consumer Price Index Summary

Thursday, March 17, 2011


The 12-month changes in major indexes continue to trend upward. The
all items index increased 2.1 percent for the 12 months ending
February; the figure was 1.1 percent as recently as November. The 12-
month increase in the index for all items less food and energy
reached 1.1 percent in February after being as low as 0.6 percent in
October. The 11.0 percent increase in the energy index is the largest
since May 2010, while the 2.3 percent rise in the food index is the
largest since May 2009.


http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

[ClarkUSA]

17. That's from this month. I was speaking of 2009 and 2010 in reference to your original comment.

As I said originally, government estimates concluded that the cost of living compared to inflation did not warrant a cost of living adjustment in 2009 and 2010. We have yet to see what they conclude about inflation rates by the end of this fiscal year. This limit is not arbitrary. It is set by U.S. law. Team Obama has been doing a good job of not creating stagflation, which was a fear in 2009. Remember 18% interest rates during the Carter era? Ugh.

Here's someone who says the same thing I am in a LTTE in Dec. 2010:
http://www.standard.net/topics/opinion/2010/12/10/absence-cola-means-obama-kept-inflation-down

US Inflation Not High Enough | 15th Oct 2010
http://politifi.com/news/US-Inflation-Not-High-Enough-1216269.html

"According to government estimates, the cost of living compared to inflation does not warrant a cost of living adjustment."
http://www.worldnewsheardnow.com/social-security-gets-no-cola-again/3304/

[DJ13]

18. Over the last 12 months,

the all items index increased 2.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.

[ClarkUSA]

21. So? Are you listening to what I'm saying? Do you think the government estimate is incorrect?

If so, I suggest you contact the media and show them your proof. It would be quite the story. I gave you my opinion, backed it up with proof, so whatever you have to say at this point is moot to me.

[DJ13]

24. Do you think the government estimate is incorrect?

The CPI is notoriously low, and its frequently commented on by several economists.

It was deliberately bastardized in the early 90's to reduce COLA expense for the government.

AQs I said before, you must not be living ona fixed income, otherwise you would know that costs have risen.

[ClarkUSA]

25. That's subjective opinion. I have yet to see any proof from credible economists to back you up..

I have several close relatives living off their pensions and SSI. I don't hear them griping about rising food prices. But then again, if you're right, 2.3% isn't something to really complain about. On a purchase of $100, that's just $2.30. Big deal.

There's good reason COLA hasn't risen in the past two years: Team Obama has done a great job of keeping inflation in check.

[tcaudilllg]

2. It would pay the salaries of 20,000 teachers. n/t

That's instruction for 600,000 students.

[tridim]

3. CNN didn't give a flying fuck what Iraq and Afghanistan cost.

MSM "concern" noted, $225 million is so much worse than >$1 trillion and counting. :eyes:

[AtomicKitten]

4. The US will not be maintaining the no-fly zone. That task is being handed off to NATO.

[Cali_Democrat]

7. The US still has to pay the cost of using its own ships, weapons and planes...

under the integrated NATO structure. Who ultimately is in command of the mission doesn't mean much to the bottom line as long as US resources are being utilized.

[AtomicKitten]

9. It will be a shared cost through NATO.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Do you have a link that shows how other countries will be subsidizing the use of US resources?

My understanding is that countries will still have to pay of cost of using their own resources within the NATO infrastructure. NATO is simply assuming command and control.

[AtomicKitten]

20. Shared cost yet to be determined by NATO Common Funds Burdensharing.

Pending ...

[Cali_Democrat]

27. And surely you'll PM me the link or post an update here....

...once it has been determined that the already broke and indebted EU nations will be sending us cash to cover our costs of waging this war.

BTW, that's just for MAINTAINING a no-fly zone. The cost of the war for us is about to exceed $1 billion in the very near future. Will the indebted and already broke European nations be sending us a check for costs already incurred?

More info on the European Debt Crisis....

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=european+debt+crisis&aq=2&aqi=g5&aql=f&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=d0da709d28d6ead8

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Quite a lot of money to protect a rebel uprising in a sovereign country.

Whether it's a good uprising or a bad one, if they chose to revolt & provoke a government action against them that was their business. Taking sides in this thing after the fact is absurd.

[timo]

10. not to worry

Obama will get the money from his stash!!!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[RMBEBBP]

15. Geez

de nobis, ista pecunia magna.
To us regular folk, that's a lotta money.

at si innumerabilia incendas cotidie et omnibus septem manibus, post quodque bellum liberationis, licet necnulli constare nil istam pecuniam credant.
But if you burn through a billion everyday, every week operation freedom by operation freedom, I suppose some rationally could think this a small drop in the bucket.

edepol, miror quantas tesseras fortunae posse istum numerum emere?
But geez, I wonder how Lotto tickets a billion dollars could buy?

Vale

[Runework]

22. Goin' the way of Rome

...

[chill_wind]

23. K & R. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

26. So what? What is the moral price of $tanding by counting $$ while allowing genocide to occur?

I find the gist of the OP to be morally repugnant. But then again, what can I expect from the bean counting tool$ writing for CNNMoney.com?