The US budget deficit grew by nearly $60 billion in June, and is on track to exceed $1 trillion for the fourth straight year. By the end of this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, the full budget deficit will total $1.17 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Congress and the Obama administration spend too much in every dimension, but paying for the warfare state makes up an enormous chunk of these massive deficits.
The financial cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone account for more than $4 trillion. The Pentagon estimated in February of last year that the war in Afghanistan costs $300 million every day. That’s more than the average American earns in his lifetime, for a war that was fought for political repute and which is collectively recognized as an utter failure.
More than a quarter of what Washington spends money on every year is spent on the warfare state. That’s about 65% of all discretionary spending.
“The United States spent $728 billion on its military in 2010,” according to the Mercatus Center, “about 45% of the world’s $1.6 trillion total. US spending amounts to more than the next fourteen largest military spending countries combined. In fact, the US spends nearly 6 times more than the next largest military spender, China.”
More inclusive estimates on national security spending find that the true dollar amount the US spends every fiscal year exceeds $1 trillion.
The American economy is worse than its been in a long time. The International Monetary Fund recently warned that if Congress doesn’t do something to avert the “fiscal cliff,” it could send the economy into another steep recession.
Some kind of error in the story. It says the war costs '300 billion a day' but the whole military costs '728 billion a year.'
Yeah, methinks the math don't add up.
yeah its a typos the link says "300 million a day" not 300 billion.
But also the costs of Afghanistan and Iraq are not included in the standard military budget. The money for the wars is budgetted seperately through appropriations or past on to different government departments.
An example is The Department of Energy which paid for alot the reconstruction projects in Iraq and got annual budget increases for the war costs. Or the Coalition Provisional Authority which had an entirely seperate budget from the military and paid the salaries of the Iraqi army, police and alot of the contractors including Blackwater.
None of those costs were taken out the US militaries 720 Billion a year budget.
"the war in Afghanistan costs $300 billion every day. That’s more than the average American earns in his lifetime"
From the link:
Afghan war costs $300 million a day: Pentagon
(AFP) – Feb 14, 2011
WASHINGTON — The withdrawal of American troops from Iraq will allow for a reduced US defense budget in 2012 but the war in Afghanistan still costs the United States close to 300 million dollars a day.
Looks like a typo. S/B $300 million.
"Congress and the Obama administration spend too much in every dimension, but paying for the warfare state makes up an enormous chunk of these massive deficits”.
In general terms US is as bankrupt as Spain, yet printing money is the way for US not showing that the country is a documented bankrupt country. There is no solution as long as US federal government dependent on what is called federal reserve, secondly the US economic crises is not going to be solved by pumping more money into its militarism regime, but the bad news is that US needs to have its militarism regimes due to not being a democratic country or governed by a democratic institution. Gearing for war with Iran and perhaps the WW3 is yet another proof; however, non of these wars is going to happen now nor next months, as we said before, the war with Iran will happen after election, the president needs more of “people support”, in another word be reelected to continue with his international agendas, to have more of his foot solders in senate and etc.., so Obama administration needs to pump as much they can into that US mighty army where it can be used after election.., All that talks about rights to pacific ocean and Syria turmoil, the Saudis involvement is about those who are behind the scene orchestrating the US economic agendas, as how to benefit, how to create a bigger bolder war, how to control it and how long the war is going to be in where US and EU interests is located Saudis feudalism is one of those interests.
Meanwhile US-England and EU negotiating with their “enemies” as China, Iran, Russia wanting to find out if there is a compromise in time before the war, otherwise closing the Hormuz is as easy as when the war starts. Let put it to you like this, In god we trust, is part of the wording printed on a dollar bill, in the other side of that bill is printed saying This note is legal tender for all debt, public or privet. Translation, there is no value on this bill in your hand.., god help you. That is an economic policy adopted by US capitalism system, enforcing such hollow-ballon economic wanting to implement it around the world, not done yet, as these dollars have no value, as capitalism economic is as hollow as a ballon so is the France,England,German and US democracy.
Where are your proof readers? "Warfare state sending US of fiscal cliff" Come on!
Afghan war costs $300 billion a year??? That would reach one trillion is less than 4 days. Where are your proof readers?
109.5 trillion a year? That's more money than the whole USA
The plan is to keep commodities dirt cheap by gunboat diplomacy as well as forcing nations to accept the dollar.
Kind of telling when the majority of "comments" go off on a typo instead of the content.
On topic…everyone who pays attention knows and understands that the wars are a major reason for the deficits being accumulated by Congress and the Administration. I don't understand why this isn't a prime argument to be made for ending the wars, now. The return on these wars cannot conceivably come close to balancing the scales. The arguments against the Vietnam war was one of morality and the senseless deaths of Americans – death in general. Since we've given up the ghost regarding morality and never-ending war and empire, the costs and ROI should be the main argument now. But, there doesn't seem to be anyone really complaining.
During Vietnam, you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing protesters…Where are they now?
Me thinks that is because during the Vietnam era every able bodied American was subject to being drafted into the military.
In front of the TV checking their messages………….
curmudgeonvt,
I believe morality should be the sole issue. Killing human beings can not be a business for which to Calculate Return on Investment. Is Christianity a religion devoid of God, humanity, and soul–totally bankrupt?
Charles, the answer to your last question is, for the most part, yes.
you are correct…but, it isn't. When a large majority of Americans publicly state that they don't have a problem with their government torturing another human being then it's a pretty safe bet that the question of morality is not going to be discussed. I wish it weren't so and would love to have someone prove me wrong. Even the Christian churches and their elders have a hard time vocalizing opposition to the prevailing approval of torture by the state – so they pretty much don't.
Charles,
You ask, " is Christianity a religion devoid of God, humanity, and soul— totally bankrupt"?
Maybe – depends upon which brand of Christianity, you speak of. The New Testament Christianity with its emphasis upon love of one's fellow man, redemption, humility, etc. is not bankrupt. The currently predominant Old Testament variety of Christianity which is full of love for Israel's genocidal ways, racism and triumphal militarism is truly devoid of God, humanity and soul. This latter variety call themselves by the appropriate name – Zionist Christians.
During the Vietnam war protesters made ourselves extremely unpleasant to the majority and thus the public was forced to choose sides and this caused a rift in the population that was seen and experienced as a crisis. Eventually most people came around to be against the war. Today we suffer from too much politeness. We don't want to disturb anybody or 'make the troops feel bad' and thus the public and the media can go on ignoring us as if we didn't matter. And so far we don't. To stop a war you have to get downright nasty, there simply is no other way. Polite protest is no protest at all.
Besides, protesting would require a commitment that would require giving up something else and as we all know, as we are a society of immediate gratification, giving up something for a an idea or concept, if you will, ain't gonna happen. The days of fighting (getting nasty, as you put it so well) for an idea are over…let somebody else do it, I've got more important stuff to do like go to the gym or movies or just watching TV – oh, wait, the new shooter game is out…c'ya.
The entire article is a piece of juvenile garbage. Full of errors, both grammatical and of judgment. It makes absolutely no sense.
I'm getting tired of this kind of innumerate claptrap. Using CSIS numbers (google "The US Cost of the Afghan War: FY2002-FY2013"), it's currently running about $300m/day, or about $1 per day for every American citizen. The average American earns more than $1m in a lifetime.
You're not going to win anybody over except idiots by being off by 1,000:1 or 1,000,000:1 off in the numbers. First Scott, now this?!?
Its aTYPO, just as the heading has a typo it should be OFF not of!
you ask where the protesters are, because they are volunteers and no draft we dont see protesters, you go because you signed up not because you were forced, remember Iraq when Stop loss was at its height, then you had Protests from soldiers that had done their time but were forced to stay!
no one mentioned that the title says "of" instead of "off"
Anyone in Congress even remember Ike's warnings about "the military industrial complex"?
"The Pentagon estimated in February of last year that the war in Afghanistan costs $300 billion every day."
===
Hhmm? I don't think so. I mean they spend money we don't have, but $300 BILLION per day? Even Congress would think twice before authorizing that much!
If you bothered to read the article at the link, you would see that was merely a typo.
Now what do you think about the $300 Million per day? Too much, too little? I think anything above zero is too much.
A major reason for spending so much on war and militarization is that during the reign of Allan Greenspan in the Federal Reserve almost all manufacturing tools were moved offshore; leaving the US to produce only armaments and hi-tech. A huge number of the US population is employed in one way or another in jobs connected to the business of war and killing, in other words the US economy is war based. It has to kill and destroy in order to survive. If peace in the world prevails, all those workers will face severe economic hardship.
War has thus become an inseparable element of the American culture. For instance, when soldiers retire, they go join the police force. America needs to change and change big so that it can join and play its part in the civilized world community.
As the saying goes, when all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails. That’s why for America, diplomacy means war.
Spending so much on various wars of choice would not have been allowed were the country ruled in a democratic way, neither Congress would have allowed it if it represented the people.
Once bombing of Syria started – the USD will drop like a ton of shit and US goes into a depression and civil chaos. The end of the dollar is near and once one central bank starts to sell all will follow and no mercy. Bye Bye US for all your stupidity in fighting so many wars
It never ceases to amaze me, the crazy things that people will do when they're spending other people's money.
And Obammie said he'd cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term.
Hey progressives, how's that hope and change thingie workin out fer ya?
Same way your brain is working for you – not very well at all.
These wars are no burdon on the US economy. Total war expeditures add up to less than 5% of the US GDP. That's one HELL of a bargan for endless war. Practically pays for itself. Ok, I'm just being assinine. I thought I'd throw out the contradiction to this arguement, which also contradicts everything I was taught about the cost of war in school. Then again I was also taught in school that torture was evil and wrong so I guess it's my own bad upbringing.
Yes, we have moved forward from the days of our extremely violent ancestors. Now a few people (they don't even have to be fit, brave, or smart) can obliterate hundreds of millions with the touch of a button. But I don't think they will get away with it. I think it is the end of the line for weapons and warfare. We have long since passed the point of diminishing returns. As I reminded another correspondent the other day, the "world's only remaining super power" spends twice as much as everyone else on "the most powerful military in history." It spends more than everyone else on the planet (including its own allies) and it has been defeated by a bunch of unorganized guys with a few bags of fertilizer in Afghanistan. The WORSP hasn't done any better in Iraq. It was defeated in Vietnam and Korea. In fact, the last war "the world's only remaining super power" won was The Great Victory of '45. Good-by and good riddance.
The Great Victory of '45 was only a victory for communists and Zionists, not the rest of us.
Forget about the typos and the sloppy proof reading. The fact remains that if the military draft is ever reinstated (which is very unlikely), wars of profit designed to transfer wealth from the general population to defense contractors will come to an end. But as long as it’s someone else’s child being killed for war profits, don’t expect any changes
Bankrupting and putting the U.S. into receivership to be enforced by U.N. troops and complicit American forces is part of the objective. If this fails, the MIC still makes out like bandits. The Skull and Bones crew and freemasons have been doing dirty work for their 'Grand Patron' for centuries. They still do.