Wars Have Cost A Measly $1.2 Trillion

The members of Congress can't seem to come up with $2 to $6 billion dollars for FEMA to help out the victims of disasters in this country, but they certainly don't seem to have any problem throwing much larger sums of money away on the two unnecessary wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amount needed by FEMA is only two or three weeks worth of the money being spent to wage the seemingly unending wars. Evidently Congress thinks that propping up corrupt puppet governments in foreign countries is more important than helping hurting American citizens.

That sounds like they have their priorities backwards to me. Shouldn't the well-being of American citizens be the first and foremost concern of the elected officials in Washington? And don't even try to tell me that these wars are being fought to defend the United States. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan have ever posed a danger to the United States or its citizens. Afghanistan did give some support and protection to terrorists (but Iraq did not), but if we invaded every country that has supported terrorists we'd be fighting a double-digit number of wars right now. There was a better way to handle that situation (and it is why we have the CIA).

So, how much have these ridiculous military adventures cost the United States? According to the National Priorities Project, a conservative estimate of the money spent so far is about $1.2 trillion. And they aren't over yet. By the conclusion of both wars, some people estimate that the U.S. will have spent about $3 trillion. Either figure is a ton of money for a country with deficit and debt problems. Just think how much better the deficit would look right now if Bush/Cheney had not started these stupid wars.

The folks at Think Progress have compiled a list of how the $1.2 trillion could have been better spent. This is what that money could have bought for America:

– Provide 63.3 Million Scholarships For University Students Every Year For Ten Years

– Give 58.9 Million Children Low-Income Health Care Every Year For Ten Years

– Give 23.6 Million People Access To Low-Income Healthcare Every Year For Ten Years

– Provide 20.68 Million Students With Pell Grants Worth $5,500 Every Year For Ten Years

– Provide 15.12 Million Head Start Slots For Children Every Year For Ten Years

– Provide Veterans Administration Care For 14.7 Million Military Veterans Every Year For Ten Years

– Hire 2.01 Million Firefighters Every Year For Ten Years

– Hire 1.76 Million Elementary School Teachers Every Year For Ten Years

– Hire 1.73 Million Police Officers Every Year For Ten Years

– Retrofit 69.4 Million Households For Wind Power Every Year For Ten Years

– Retrofit 26 Million Households For Solar Photovoltaic Energy Every Year For Ten Years

 Isn't it time we stopped throwing this money down a rat-hole and concentrated on helping the hurting people in our own country?