Thracian Posted 13 November 2007 Posted 13 November 2007 Bearing in mind Al Qaeda's declared intention to attack Western economies who the hell is winning and what could this bill have bought instead? Precised From Yahoo News: The economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to total $1.6 trillion — roughly double the amount the White House has requested thus far, according to a new report by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee. The report, released Tuesday, attempted to put a price tag on the two conflicts, including "hidden" costs such as interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars, lost investment, the expense of long-term health care for injured veterans and the cost of oil market disruptions. The $1.6 trillion figure, for the period from 2002 to 2008, translates into a cost of $20,900 for a family of four, the report said. The Bush administration has requested $804 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined, the report stated. For the Iraq war only, total economic costs were estimated at $1.3 trillion for the period from 2002 to 2008. That would cost a family of four $16,500, the report said. Future economic costs would be even greater. The report estimated that both wars would cost $3.5 trillion between 2003 and 2017. Under that scenario, it would cost a family of four $46,400, the report said. Oil prices have surged since the start of the war, from about $37 a barrel to well over $90 a barrel in recent weeks, the report said. "Consistent disruptions from the war have affected oil prices," although the Iraq war is not responsible for all of the increase in oil prices. Meanwhile, "the sum of interest paid on Iraq-related debt from 2003 to 2017 will total over $550 billion," the report said. The government has to make interest payments on the money it borrows to finance the national debt, which recently hit $9 trillion for the first time. "What this report makes crystal clear," said Joint Economic Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., "is that the cost to our country in lives lost and dollars spent is tragically unacceptable."
Bellend Sebastian Posted 13 November 2007 Posted 13 November 2007 Anyone see (Panorama I think it was) the programme the other week about how little planning was done for after the Iraq war? It was astonishing. It was all sketched out in about 3 months (the planning for how to run a defeated Germany at the end of WWII took years). Tens of thousands have died as a result. For what?
stez Posted 13 November 2007 Posted 13 November 2007 don't forget, and american billion is a thousand million, where as ours is a million million, so it's not as much as you might think..... like it makes a difference!!! i'm sure w.bush will worry himself sick when he's no longer in office (11 months or there abouts) while the american people are busy rebuilding their economy and paying off the war debts.
potter3 Posted 13 November 2007 Posted 13 November 2007 don't forget, and american billion is a thousand million, where as ours is a million million, so it's not as much as you might think..... Not anymore I thought
James. Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 Not anymore I thought A billion is a thousand million in the US and UK. $1,000,000,000
stez Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 A billion is a thousand million in the US and UK.$1,000,000,000 yet another end of something british then. we may as well scrap the pound sterling now.
BigGibbo Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 yet another end of something british then. we may as well scrap the pound sterling now. NEVER!
BigGibbo Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 "What this report makes crystal clear," said Joint Economic Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., "is that the cost to our country in lives lost and dollars spent is tragically unacceptable." I don't understand how they justify it to themselves let alone us!
davieG Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 I don't understand how they justify it to themselves let alone us! It also begs the question as to what point it became unacceptable - how many live and how many dollars
BigGibbo Posted 14 November 2007 Posted 14 November 2007 It also begs the question as to what point it became unacceptable - how many live and how many dollars I would say the 1st dollar let alone life.
Dr The Singh Posted 16 November 2007 Posted 16 November 2007 NDAH! Fez, you saying NDAH is the ultimate obscenity??????? Or is it Billy Ray Chirus or both!! Or Billy Ray and NDAH in a threesome????
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