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The $1.2 Trillion Trap: What America Gave Up For 10 Years Of War Since 9/11
By Zaid Jilani on Sep 11, 2011 at 8:00 am
Today is September 11th, the tenth anniversary of the horrific and inhumane Al Qaeda-led terrorist attacks that killed approximately 3,000 innocents. As Americans pause and reflect on how these attacks changed our country and the world, we should reflect upon one of deceased terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden’s primary goals: bankrupting America. In an audio tape from 2004, Bin Laden explained that Al Qaeda had adopted a “policy” of “bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy” through provoking it into engaging in perpetual warfare in the Middle East and South Asia.
Nearly ten years after the United States sent our military forces into Afghanistan, our country has spent $1.2 trillion engaging in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the National Priorities Project (NPP). The wars are expected to cost much more than that by their conclusion, with some estimates ranging up to $3 trillion for the Iraq war alone.
By spending this much money on wars that ended up being America’s longest in history, the United States in some ways fell into Bin Laden’s trap. This money could’ve been used in ways that would’ve invested in America — securing access to health care, a decent education, and infrastructure for alternative energy. Using NPP metrics, ThinkProgress has assembled ten alternative policies that the United States could’ve pursued instead with this money that has been spent on the wars so far:
– 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
These numbers reflect only the monetary costs of the wars. The human costs are much more difficult to calculate, both because it is it impossible to quantify the value of a human life and because calculating the death toll among Iraqis and Afghans is very difficult. But over 6,400 American soldiers have perished in Iraq, Afghanistan, or supporting theaters and death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan combined are in the hundreds of thousands.
The cost in blood and treasure of these wars since 9/11 demonstrate that they enacted a heavy toll on our country, and this data should inform our actions in the future.
The sad part of both of these wars is that niether Afghanistan or Iraq had anything to do with 9/11.
It is another thing to note we killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan our allie who hid him for years from us and warned him if they knew of any danger was near.
These wars are a financial mess. They are being waged at the expence of our children's education,police protection,fire protection.and the general maintence of our country's infrastucture.
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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one could argue that all this has been subsidy for oil, and should be calculated as the cost of using oil... if so, it would make "green energy" subsidies look tiny.
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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well Glass,welcome to American colonialism.
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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somebody brought it up at the last GOP debate. It wasn't Perry or Romney. When you add in the tax releif, the security costs, and other Govt "benefits" that the oil co's get? Gasoline is about 13$ per gallon....
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by glassman: somebody brought it up at the last GOP debate. It wasn't Perry or Romney. When you add in the tax releif, the security costs, and other Govt "benefits" that the oil co's get? Gasoline is about 13$ per gallon....
I dont think the big oil companies need tax subsidies, but that is clearly not the problem of why were are where we are.
Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by glassman: somebody brought it up at the last GOP debate. It wasn't Perry or Romney. When you add in the tax releif, the security costs, and other Govt "benefits" that the oil co's get? Gasoline is about 13$ per gallon....
I dont think the big oil companies need tax subsidies, but that is clearly not the problem of why were are where we are.
quote:Originally posted by glassman: somebody brought it up at the last GOP debate. It wasn't Perry or Romney. When you add in the tax releif, the security costs, and other Govt "benefits" that the oil co's get? Gasoline is about 13$ per gallon....
I dont think the big oil companies need tax subsidies, but that is clearly not the problem of why were are where we are.
how so?
Because its what, 40 billion? I mean, Obama went ahead with Libya and he gets a pass on that which clearly oil is a player in that whole mess.
Then takes on oil companies. Thats fine, everyone needs a whipping boy right? Like I said, get rid of the oil subsidies. See what happens. In fact it already started. The big rush to offshore brazil. Drilling, exploration, money, politics, Obama, etc all have been down to Brazil to talk about their oil...which is huge. They have so much offshore oil that has been found and HASNT been found.
Anyway, what is our total US debt? 54 trillion? Our national debt is about to hit 15 trillion.
You have a congress that refuses to end the corporate tax loopholes. The dems wont touch tort reform (obviously), and we bailed banks that stole from us while their executives got big bonuses after bailout.
Yet, they said well the bonuses were there in the contract well before the bailout. Yeah, thats true. Someone hook me up with a job where bonuses are paid in the millions for massive failures and lack of oversight.
We had ZERO job growth in August. ZERO. Not hope, not change, not all the kool aid everyone has been drinking. Right before the stimulus passed...after all the shady backroom deals, bribes, and political paybacks were done. If I would have posted to this board that in August of 2011 years ahead there would be no job growth you all would have slammed my statement. Now look.
so if you want to blame oil subsidies for all the greed, shady deals, health care lobbying, credit default swaps, financial deregulation under clinton and bush, mortgage backed securities afoul, spending money we dont have, ponzi schemes like maddoff, the 9-11 attacks, and everything else....well....
Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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oil subsidies have been built in to the established big boys, almost since the original discoveries, the major fields, I intend--not the first little spurts. The Texas Railroad Commission is one of the dirtiest games in town, from this perspective. Hell, even nukes couldn't have wound up with such a purchase in the energy menu without huge, lucrative subsidies.
As far as job growth goes, don't blame the Prez--he helped save a crucial tier of jobs. But the Constitution doesn't allow him to direct companies' hiring practices. Yet, said companies are sitting on trillion$ in cash (in large part due to the Prez's stimulus) and won't do anything because they protest getting caught and fear the political climate may be changing--the middle class *may be* catching on. That would rain Hell on the Plutonomy, and they Do Not Like IT.
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The solution is simple (tariff Chinese imports) yet there isn't a single politician even talking about it let alone attempting to make it happen.
Buck, i heard Romney utter the phrase, this article from Forbes takes the Chinese side, which says it all as far as i am concerned, Forbes is not interested in fixing the problem either...
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney became the first Republican candidate to bring China into the 2012 election. Last week, the former governor of Massachusetts unveiled his 59-point economic program, which included some harsh words for the country and its currency policy.
Romney promised last Tuesday that one of his initial executive orders on his first day as president would be to “clamp down on the cheaters” by slapping duties on Chinese imports if Beijing doesn’t move quickly to float its currency. “I will label China as it is, a currency manipulator and I will go after them for stealing our intellectual property,” he said while unveiling his plan to revive the troubled U.S. economy and create jobs.
Needless to say, it didn’t take long for Beijing to register its displeasure. An English-language commentary by the state Xinhua news agency last week called Romney’s remarks “old-fashioned and ill-advised,” warning: “China is no cause of the current U.S. economic mess and bashing Beijing is no cure for Washington’s woes.”
“Crafty (U.S.) politicians tend to cater to and even ratchet up the antagonistic sentiment of some poorly informed voters toward China, dreaming that they could ride the anti-China waves to higher political echelons and even the White House,” the commentary said.
Beyond Romney’s unfortunate use of the word “cheaters” in referring to such an important country — whatever the facts, it’s never advisable to resort to name-calling — who is correct? Is Romney right to label China a “currency manipulator?” There are certainly many in both political parties who believe this is the case. Or, are his remarks “old fashioned” as Xinhua contends?
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It really easy to figure it out,when you have 51 thousand manufactures move out of the country with the idea of cheap labor as a motive. You biuld to service the biggest commodity engin in the world the U.S.A.. So it is only natural that you get the walls broke down,the tariff laws, and that is what is killing us more than there moving, No protection.
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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it seems to me that the Tparty "plan" to be able to compete with China in manufacturing is to create an underclass of people willing to work 10 hrs a day 6 days a week and live in dormitories and eat cafeteria food for 9 of ten meals... that's how it is in China...
it's is not clear to me that Chinese products RETAIL for for significanlty cheaper prices here than the same products made by Americans would.
i will accept that we may see a 5% lower price overall, but not much more. What i do KNOW for fact is that the Middleman make more money. I frequently find Chinese suppliers online for the types of things i use in my glass biz being sold by Chinese manufacturers. Their prices in China for export are dirt cheap. But when you go to buy them here from retailers, they are no longer dirt cheap. Taxing the difference WOULD most definitely hurt the middlemen alot. However, i have no desire to see them make a fortune by working FOR the Chinese. Keep in mind that most Chinese businesses are actually owned at least in part by the Govt. and you begin to see why it is really so wrong to do biz with them. It's not any different than if we had allowed people to do direct business with the Kremlin itself. Yet BIG BIZ will fight any attempt to alleviate the trade imbalance because they are making too much profit off it.
7 of 8 people in China are employed by the Govt. And the govt strictly controls all prices:
On Friday, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the Shanghai price authorities fined Unilever 2 million yuan (about $308,000) for sending notices to supermarkets and for talking to reporters in March about plans to raise prices on its products, including detergents. The actions, according to the NDRC, “seriously distorted market order.” The world’s second-largest consumer products company never actually increased prices, and it was not alone in its plans. There was panic buying in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities when state media announced that four companies dominating the detergent market—Procter & Gamble, Guangzhou Liby Enterprise Group, and Nice Group in addition to Unilever—were expected to hike prices by as much as 15%.
Unilever, alone among the four, was fined. The Anglo-Dutch concern agreed to pay the stiff amount, the first large penalty imposed by Beijing’s price regulator. “As a responsible company we abide by laws and regulations in China,” Unilever said in a statement.
The NDRC essentially admitted that it shifted the ground under Unilever when it stated that the punishment “was meted out to break ugly habits and build new rules.” Unilever’s plight highlights the informal nature of Beijing’s fight to contain consumer inflation, now running at 5.4% according to the most recent official figure. The international press focuses on increases in interest rates and bank reserve ratios, but Chinese officials are relying on more direct measures to keep prices in check.
good article from this year PROVES how wrong the TParty slogan writers are when they claim that "regulation destroys" economic growth since the Chinese are the most regulated business people in the world. The regualtions are part of an Economic Masterplan that is open warfare on small business and labor in the US...
this China model of Govt Controlled business should make all Americans very upset, i don't see how we have let ourselves become so complacent?
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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if you beleive you understand how 'freemakrets" rreally work? you should be willing to cut off all trade with China TOMORROW. This report is from xinhuanet or literally the "New China News Agency"- the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC)
BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- While the United States is still grappling with its economic recovery by pumping 600 billion dollars into the market, China announced new measures to tame price gains which were mainly caused by excessive liquidity.
GOVERNMENT MEASURES
China's State Council, or the Cabinet, pledged Wednesday that the government would make more efforts to stabilize commodity prices, ensure the supply of vegetables, grain, edible oil, sugar and cotton and crack down on speculation in agricultural goods.
The government may also impose temporary price controls on important daily necessities and production materials, when necessary, to counter the inflation that has accelerated to a 4.4 percent annual pace in October.
"The measures will benefit both the consumers and producers," Li Guoxiang, an analyst with the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told Xinhua Thursday.
"The government vowed to increase production of oil, especially diesel oil, to guarantee a sufficient supply, which will help cut delivery costs of agricultural products, leading farm produce prices to fall," Li said.
Also, diesel shortages hit China this winter as international oil prices jumped and domestic factories used extra fuel to power their generators. Some gas stations in east and south China ran dry and drivers struggled to get their trucks fueled in early November, pushing up delivery costs of agricultural products.
Also, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed the prices of 18 types of vegetables in China, including cabbage, potato and cucumbers, rose 62.4 percent year on year in early November, while prices of garlic and ginger jumped 95.85 percent and 89.5 percent, respectively, from one year earlier.
FALLING PRICES
However, China's price control measures dragged farm produce prices down faster than expected. "Prices of Chinese cabbage fell to 0.5 yuan per kilo. Prices of other vegetables like celery and carrots dropped 30 percent compared with Wednesday," Wang Manyin, a 68-year-old citizen in Jinan, east China' s Shandong Province, said while visiting a supermarket.
Wang and her husband together earned 1,400 yuan per month. "As a low-income earner, I really hope the measures could drag prices of agricultural products down a bit," she said.
The authorities said in Wednesday's statement it would offer temporary price subsidies for the needy and increase allowances for poor students as well as all students' living expenses. Further, social welfare benefits should be aligned with price levels and basic standards of social welfare should be gradually raised.
LOL, yep, our financial crisis has nothing to do with trying to compete with a Commie country- this situation we find ourselves in is so ridiculous i can't find words...
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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OK, so the "supposedly" good news is that high oil prices are going to crush the Chinese Govt's hold on the economy-
Oil-hungry China needs energy security rethink
By Trevor Houser
Published: March 17 2011 22:32 | Last updated: March 17 2011 22:32
China’s economy is more oil intensive than either America or Europe, while half of its imported oil comes from the Middle East and north Africa, compared with one-quarter for the US. If crude stays at current prices China will spend more on oil this year than it earns selling goods to the US.
hmmmm.... crush their controls or start a Chinese Spring? Liek they Arab Spring? either way it's been in the works for quite awhile and we'll ssee soon enough
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by glassman: OK, so the "supposedly" good news is that high oil prices are going to crush the Chinese Govt's hold on the economy-
Oil-hungry China needs energy security rethink
By Trevor Houser
Published: March 17 2011 22:32 | Last updated: March 17 2011 22:32
China’s economy is more oil intensive than either America or Europe, while half of its imported oil comes from the Middle East and north Africa, compared with one-quarter for the US. If crude stays at current prices China will spend more on oil this year than it earns selling goods to the US.
hmmmm.... crush their controls or start a Chinese Spring? Liek they Arab Spring? either way it's been in the works for quite awhile and we'll ssee soon enough
What if we raised the import tax on chinese goods? You know its so one sided, we arent shipping crap to China or any other "trade partners" we have.
I guess its kind of hard to do when the Chinese have our govt by the balls right now.
Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Below is the most important thing the US gave up since 911, the rest probably doesn't matter much to those families that have been affected by the lost or major injury that came because of the wars.
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The story below or above seems to be one that is so familiar to war.
This one is just another one of the more recent sad stories.
Someone has to go down when soldiers don't play by the rules that are set from above.
I never have understood how you can tell the bad guys from the good ones in these types of wars?
The list goes on about different situations that land our soldiers in big trouble and we only hear about the ones that our big boy's are afraid to be caught in between.
We have talked about these situations of war many times over the years on allstocks.
Let stop these foolish wars so we don't have any more scapegoats for our politicians and generals to hide behind.
-------------------- It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so many things that aren't so. Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by glassman: OK, so the "supposedly" good news is that high oil prices are going to crush the Chinese Govt's hold on the economy-
Oil-hungry China needs energy security rethink
By Trevor Houser
Published: March 17 2011 22:32 | Last updated: March 17 2011 22:32
China’s economy is more oil intensive than either America or Europe, while half of its imported oil comes from the Middle East and north Africa, compared with one-quarter for the US. If crude stays at current prices China will spend more on oil this year than it earns selling goods to the US.
hmmmm.... crush their controls or start a Chinese Spring? Liek they Arab Spring? either way it's been in the works for quite awhile and we'll ssee soon enough
“We do see some substantial growth—about 53% from 2008 to 2035—in world energy consumption,” Gruenspecht said during a presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Nearly all of it will take place outside the [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development], driven by economic growth, with the non-OECD projected share rising to about two-thirds by 2035. About half is coming from China and India alone.”
"Renewable energy was the fastest growing energy source in the forecast’s reference case (2.8%/year from a 10% share in 2008 to 15% in 2035). But fossil fuels, with a 79% share, remained the single-largest source, even though it was less than its 85% share in 2008."
-------------------- It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so many things that aren't so. Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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