Featured Posts
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  • SOTU

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  • Just Another GOP Debate

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  • No More Mister Nice Guy for Mitt Romney

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  • Mike Huckabee Solidifies His Birther Creds

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  • Late Night Political Humor

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  • The Constitution – Libertarian’s False Idol

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The Cost of War

interesting  http://mariopiperni.com/

.

Gets you thinking

The United States spends about $3.6 billion a month in Afghanistan, according to data provided by the Congressional Research Service.

The average cost per month is calculated at an average 51,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but that number likely will go higher with the 68,000 troops the Obama administration already is planning on having in that country, and could double if President Barack Obama backs a reported request from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander in Afghanistan, to send as many as 40,000 more troops to the country.

The cost of sending one U.S. soldier in Afghanistan for one year is $1 million versus an estimated $12,000 for an Afghani soldier, according to Steve Daggett, a specialist with the Congressional Research Service. Those numbers fall within the calculations that the Obama administration has been using. The Obama administration is calculating $1 billion per 1,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan.

I know it’s unfair to compare the cost of running a war with the battle for health care reform but those are crazy numbers they’re throwing around.  If a war in Afghanistan cannot be won, at what point do they say, Enough! Continuing that war for another 10 years will equal the entire cost of the Baucus health care proposal for the same period of time.

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Comments

  1. Kmarkle says:

    What I want to know is why health benefits have to be “deficit neutral”, but these damn wars don’t have to be

  2. Tennessean says:

    Well, if we are going to look at it strictly from a cost effective standpoint and still maintain the goal of winning the conflict, wonder what the cost would be of dropping about 3 nukes right in the middle of all those nut jobs and being done with it for the next 100 years or so?

  3. Jovial says:

    Tennessean,

    There you go again with that gun at the hilt again. Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed us the devastation of that suggestion and is the reason why we don’t want nuclear weapons in the Iran arsenal.We know now that nuclear is a deterrent but only America has the savvy not to use it.Wars have to be fought honorably contrary to the cowardly Taliban that don’t wear war gear and hide behind women and children for protection against bullets. Afghanistan has been at war for the past thirty years and noone has ever gone in there and won. The only thing that we can attempt to do is get them on their feet,defend themselves and start an economy worthy of a nation. That is the winning formula.

    We cannot stay longer than we should and they have to awaken to the reality that they have to take responsibility. The clock is ticking.

  4. kmarkle says:

    No Nukes, no killing..have had it.
    Afghanistan is in the 14th century…they’re not gonna build anything.

    The reason we are in these stupid wars are for profit. War always equals profit.
    Halliburton was close to filing bankruptcy before these wars.
    Get out, support our troops, rebuild our infrastructure.
    another 9/11? guess what? we wouldn’t have had the last one if they had paid attention.
    It’s all smoke and mirrors

  5. Tennessean says:

    jovial, I think you just exposed yourself for the whack job you really are.

    “Wars have to be fought honorably contrary to the cowardly Taliban that don’t wear war gear and hide behind women and children for protection against bullets.”

    How honorable would you feel if it were your child whose body and head were sent home in separate containers? Knowing we had the power and capability to accomplish our goals without sacrificing one American (Canadian/Australian/British, etc.) Son or Daughter??

    “No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other bastards die for their country.”

    and..

    “May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.”

    ~General George S.Patton

  6. Tennessean says:

    kmarkle, maybe you should join up with Orly. She could probably help you further your conspiracy theory nutcase agenda.

  7. kmarkle says:

    Hey Tenessean,
    before you start spouting your patriotism…I’m a Vet idiot and damn proud of it. Wack job? nice touch…go learn your history little one wars are for profit..and as for quoting Patton..so what. We could go back and forth for days quoting people. who cares?
    Halliburton was getting ready to file bankruptcy before these wars..that is a fact.
    9/11 could have been prevented…that is a fact
    we were lied to into Iraq…that is a fact…and also treasonous by the way.
    and as for the parents that lost their children, as for the children who lost their parents…I bet all of them wish they had them back so don’t lay that guilt trip on me. The govt sent these people over there and the news media cheered them on…that is a fact..even in which they admit.

  8. Anonymous says:

    oh yeah…don’t waste your time arguing with me…cause it justs wastes out time

    have you contacted your representatives telling them that the insurance industry should be stopped from pricefixing, price gouging, and collusion. Have you told them that the fine for not excepting preconditions has to be more than the cost for which they are turning them down? ie..50,000 surgery price tag vs 5000 fine?
    have you written to the finance committe telling them to reenact
    the Glass Steagall act that was disassembled in 1999…or to put back all the regulations that were taken away starting with Reagon and continuing through Bush W.that would have stopped the financial slide in the first place. How about having them audit the Federal Reserve…have you asked them about that?
    My point is this. Look past your flag (that I volunteered to protect and defend) and start arguing with the real people. The dems and repubs are walking all over us. I fight for Americans..they want you to fight with me so that it keeps us busy and divided. That way we don’t pay attention to what they do. Work with me my friend. We have a country to protect

    gotta go…I have to talk to Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Baucus, Reid, Dodd and they white house…basically anyone who will listen…they will listen to you too..but they are not mind readers.

  9. Kmarkle says:

    above post should not be anonymous…it was me. i failed to fill out the top of the reply form

  10. Tennessean says:

    kmarkle, I was speaking to your “War for Halliburton Profit” Conspiracy remarks.

    And yes, I do as much as I am comfortable with doing in an atmosphere created by idiots that leads me to be cautious about which list my name and email address may appear on.

    BTW…I’m also a Vet so no need to attempt to trump my flag with your flag.

  11. Kmarkle says:

    goodbye Tennessean…I hope you do as you say cause this country needs it…and by the way..thanks for your service. Too bad you can’t see pass your anger to say the same to me
    Peace

  12. Tennessean says:

    kmarkle, 1. I’m not angry at anyone.

    2. I am grateful for your service. I didn’t recognize my gratitude as an issue. But if it is, I do thank you for your service. BTW, I make a point to “shake and howdy” men and women in uniform wherever I encounter them. But I also make a point not to wave my service in the face of people. Most liberals don’t appreciate it and will just discredit you for it.

    3. Bye

  13. Kmarkle says:

    such a hateful person..you have no idea how you sound. You called me a whack job…you attacked me. You attack liberals..what is the point?
    liberals are not the enemy and many of us have served… grow up
    go do some good somewhere …have you volunteered to help vets coming home from the war?
    you constantly attacking me and/or liberals is childish..

  14. Tennessean says:

    kmarkle, Take a deep breath. Make sure you’re up to schedule on your meds. Now…..

    Yes, sir or ma’am. I think people that advance the notion that the war was started to financially benefit Halliburton are “whack jobs”. Just as I think “birthers” are for the most part “whack jobs”. And just as I think 9/11 Conspiracy nuts are “whack jobs”.

    I’m not attacking anyone. I certainly did not attack you. I did however ridicule your “Halliburton Conspiracy” remark. You’re obviously a very angry person and can’t see that. I do make less than flattering observations about Liberals and would disagree that the liberal mindset is not an enemy to our society. And the flip side of that is that Liberal’s figure the Conservative mindset is equally an enemy of our society. Or at least the society they desire.

    I thought you said “Good Bye”? ;-)

  15. Kmarkle says:

    ohh ok…like you didn’t say goodbye!
    people like you amaze me…you call me a whack job and then say you didn’t
    you attack me as a liberal and then say most liberals don’t respect the military or people in the military…
    ..and then you quote Patton for christ’s sake …Patton!!! omg!
    you are laughable
    You have the mindset of a right winger (and pretend that you are not) who listens to talking points, but investigates nothing on their own. You consume it and then spit it out…in other words you are incredulous and disingenous. I extended an olive branch…you responded with a winking smiley face and numbered paragraphs..and denial that you you did anything at all better go now..you wouldn’t want to miss rush and your talking points. this is goodby for me..you are wasting my time…but if I know you..you will HAVE to have the last word

  16. laurie D. says:

    Oh Kmarkle. It didn’t take you long to peg this guy for who he is. A typical wingnut in denial.

  17. Tennessean says:

    kmarkle, In your agitated state I was just trying to make it easy for you to understand.

    I repeat, my main point of contention was your whack job assertion of a Halliburton Conspiracy. You haven’t addressed that. And I stand by those comments. All you’ve done is attack me.

    Take your olive branch and your misplaced anger and do what you should with them.

  18. Kmarkle says:

    I KNEW IT!!! ROFLMAO