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What costs more: Iraq or Obama's Stimulus?

Ockham

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Which cost more money?

- Iraq war spending between 2003-2008 or Federal spending on Education?

- Iraq war spending between 2003 and today or Medicare spending?

- Iraq war spending between 2003 and today or Obama's passed stimulus bill?

If didn't pick the Iraq war at all, you'd be correct.

The CBO spending tally for the Iraq war is $709 billion from 2003 to 2010. (See the link, Page 14 - add up Iraq. It comes to $709 billion). Not a drop in the bucket by any means but also not $3 Trillion like the Washington Post claimed, not the $3 Trillion claimed by Financial Times.


As Hoven at American Thinker puts it:

American Thinker said:
No one will say that $709 billion is not a lot of money. But first, that was spread over eight years. Secondly, let's put that in some perspective. Below are some figures for those eight years, 2003 through 2010.

* Total federal outlays: $22,296 billion.
* Cumulative deficit: $4,731 billion.
* Medicare spending: $2,932 billion.
* Iraq War spending: $709 billion.
* The Obama stimulus: $572 billion.


There is an important note to go along with that Obama stimulus number: the stimulus did not even start until 2009. By 2019, the CBO estimates the stimulus will have cost $814 billion.

...


So the following are facts, based on the government's own figures.

* Obama's stimulus, passed in his first month in office, will cost more than the entire Iraq War -- more than $100 billion (15%) more.
* Just the first two years of Obama's stimulus cost more than the entire cost of the Iraq War under President Bush, or six years of that war.
* Iraq War spending accounted for just 3.2% of all federal spending while it lasted.
* Iraq War spending was not even one quarter of what we spent on Medicare in the same time frame.
* Iraq War spending was not even 15% of the total deficit spending in that time frame. The cumulative deficit, 2003-2010, would have been four-point-something trillion dollars with or without the Iraq War.
* The Iraq War accounts for less than 8% of the federal debt held by the public at the end of 2010 ($9.031 trillion).
* During Bush's Iraq years, 2003-2008, the federal government spent more on education that it did on the Iraq War. (State and local governments spent about ten times more.)

Glad the Government's own accounting can make the financial facts clear. As the article states - remember this the next time claims that Iraq cost 3 Trillion dollars comes up. The cost to our military however, was more costly than the CBO or I am willing to calculate.
 
Whatsamatta?

Too much information or was is this one of those "no duh" threads everyone already knew?
 
I guess the way I see it is that no dollar should be spent on stuff that does not benefit our county. It doesn't matter of the war costs more or less than another initiative, but rather, if it is money well spent.

Given that I believe the war should have never happened, I do not believe it is money well spent and is government waste.
 
My bad... was wondering. Gotta work on my tardiness on topics...

Wait! We can make this like the Mosque in NY thing and make 67 threads about it :lol:
 
You want to compare money spent on another country repairing infrastructure on money spent on this country repairing infrastructure? Seriously? That's your argument?
 
You want to compare money spent on another country repairing infrastructure on money spent on this country repairing infrastructure? Seriously? That's your argument?

No, that's been the liberal arguement. I'm not actually arguing anything, I'm making you aware of the misconceptions and corrections that are now financially available through the Federal Government regarding the costs of the Iraq war. Apparently, the portrayal of the Iraq war costing 3 Trillion dollars was untrue. Surprise surprise.
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No, that's been the liberal arguement. I'm not actually arguing anything, I'm making you aware of the misconceptions and corrections that are now financially available through the Federal Government regarding the costs of the Iraq war. Apparently, the portrayal of the Iraq war costing 3 Trillion dollars was untrue. Surprise surprise.
sarcmark.jpg

Yes - it is a good argument if you are a liberal...spending money on this country versus spending money on another country. It doesn't reverse itself very well.
 
You want to compare money spent on another country repairing infrastructure on money spent on this country repairing infrastructure? Seriously? That's your argument?

Infrastructure we damaged in prosecuting the wars? Yes. The infrastructure in this country could be paid for ten times over if not for truly wasteful spending by the federal and state govts. There are funds that are specifically meant to go to this countries infrastructure but somehow always finds it way into much more frivilous things disguised as 'general welfare'.How much did these "Paid for" signs I see hanging all over the shovel ready stimulus projects cost? How many bridges could be repaired if not for $3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy in Detroit or $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service in Connecticut or $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, Iowa? Please.
 
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