Linkmeister

Billions here, billions there

Economist Joseph Stiglitz has a new book titled The Three Trillion Dollar War. The $3T in the title "casts a spotlight on expense items that have been hidden from the U.S. taxpayer, including not only big-ticket items like replacing military equipment (being used up at six times the peacetime rate) but also the cost of caring for thousands of wounded veterans—for the rest of their lives."

Bob Farley doesn't try to crossfoot to Stiglitz's number, but he does point out the following (with supporting links there):

For the monthly cost of the war in Iraq, conservatively estimated for our purposes at $8 billion, the Pentagon could buy:

• 10 F-22A Raptors ($150 million each)
• 23 F-35 Lightning IIs ($100 million each)
• 4 Littoral Combat Ships ($650 million each)
• 1 Zumwalt Destroyer ($1.5 billion each)

... and still have $100 million left to help us feel good about the Air Force.

Every. Single. Month.

And Farley's accounting just states what the Pentagon might do with that money. Imagine what the other agencies of the Federal Government might do with it if it weren't earmarked for DOD.