GOOD: The Hidden Cost of War

http://good.is/

In 2003 Donald Rumsfeld estimated a war with Iraq would cost $60 billion. Five years later, the cost of Iraq war operations is over 10 times that figure. So what's behind the ballooning dollar signs? Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilme's exhaustedly researched book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict," breaks down the price tag, from current debts to the unseen costs we'll pay for years to come.

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  News & Politics

[Gravolux]

I want to live on Mars. :'(

[gnooslab gnooslab]

great way of explaning the simple truth

[Ahmed12585]

music pleas wahts the name

[2Trueforyouu]

Well when they withdrew from Iraq, there are obviously less troops than in both Iraq & Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has pretty much diminished, and it's really the Taliban or sympathizers that are the enemy now..the only reason the U.S plans to stay is because of security, they don't want the Taliban to take over again.

But yeah - it's good we'll all eventually pull out soon.

[teddybruscie]

Yea I understand that, I just don't see them being any different in terms of military cost. And I really don't see why we are in Afghanistan when everyone is dead. And with the drone strikes plaguing Afghanistan, I would be surprised if another attack happened they will try to get us to fight another war.

[2Trueforyouu]

Couldn't say "moving", although they did transfer military personal from Iraq to Afghanistan, but the Iraq war still costs the U.S three times the amount of Afghanistan still to date.

But my initial point was to acknowledge they'd still be in Iraq by 2017 which will chew more money, but in actual fact it won't now. Also more so, by the fact the U.S are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 (well theoretically the bulk of troops, there will only be advisers & perhaps air power remaining).

[teddybruscie]

Well moving from Iraq to Afghanistan isn't really any better so this still stands relevant. Just in a different country now.

[2Trueforyouu]

Very good, only thing that's wrong is when you stated the U.S will still be in Iraq by around 2017 ... they've been out since December 2011. But you made this in 2008 which is understandable.

And actually - one of Obama's reasons to pull out was exactly that reason, he knew they'd be there for years & it would cost trillions. So it was done early.

Sad thing now the U.S is in like USD$16 trillion debt....