Yes, actually. To the villainous scum we call our leaders, it is worth it.
They've been seeding the Middle East with vengeful fury for the last 40+ years. Not only did we ensure a 100% chance of some sort of counter-offensive or rebellion to jumpstart the next war, but we've made doubly sure that they will echo war after war after war forever as new Muslim teens are raised and given a guiding finger at the US for all of life's troubles, not that they're entirely wrong.
So up up up goes defense spending and up up up goes the war bonds and up up up goes the petrol, forever. This is how the US war machine works.
In terms of roads, a lot, but probably not as much as you're thinking. The US DOT is allowed like 300 billion in a year.
On the other hand, saving the poorest of the poor is cheap, and 37.5 would make all the difference. The World Food Program wanted 13 this year and didn't get it.
If you are thinking about just straight money sure, but we run on debt. If the US Treasury bonds kept getting sold off because everyone was buying gold to trade oil in Chinese yuan America was going to go bankrupt. That would make more starving kids. This was an attempt to keep the debt machine going for a little while longer before the end. America feeds it's people with debt, not cash right now.
I don't understand why people think this is a good use of their tax money. Everyone complains about state taxes when it is much less and pays for everything you see and use. Then you have federal taxes which are a massive black hole.
I have no sympathy for Americans caring about the tax payer cost while ignoring their complicity in imperialist wars (yes, it is plural). If you are not protesting as hard the annexation and extraction of Venezuela's oil, the embargo of Cuba (shit, I am getting tired of listing crimes against humanity), you are not protesting war, you are protesting losing and you should not expect anyone in the world to feel sorry for you.
This is what we expect from Americans though. They decry the loss of American lives, even when those specific persons were involved in murdering people who aren't and don't want to be American.
You'll notice that people from other places don't talk that way. Europeans don't talk about "French lives," Japanese don't talk about "Japanese lives," and Iranians don't talk about "Iranian lives." It's a uniquely American thing and it's all about an ingrained sense of American exceptionalism.
Even if that weren't a blatant lie, that's only the direct cost of the operation. Not what it cost the country (through the massive fuel cost increases and the knock on effect to the cost of everything else from that, the fertilizer shortages and upcoming food price hike with the subpar harvest, etc)
FWIW we've been seeing that amount be advertised for months. So either people talking about the fact that "the war having cost $40bn so far" were wrong months ago, or this number is under-evaluated for political reasons. Or both.
Everyone is focusing on the taxpayer cost, which is of course exorbitant. But try instead thinking about how many private jets the weapon manufacturers and politicians in their pocket are getting out of it.
It does seem low, doesn't it? It might add up, that's a bit less than 20,000 2 million dollar missiles, and a lot of it is actually going to be on labour or other things. It is a more impressive figure when you consider how long this has been going on.
Not to mention, the weapons being used are niche and pretty hard to replace on any reasonable timeline. It's not the same as expending the same value in concrete or grain.
Australia's total NBN build out cost ~US$36 billion (AU$51 billion) for comparison. That's including rolling parts of it out twice since we half-arsed some of it the first time.
Yeah but it also raised prices around the world, including in the US, and this money could have gone to its inhabitants instead, so in reality it has costed the American tax payer and many of its companies much more. Also, he's a lying piece of shit so who knows what it actually costs.
the clips i saw from those hearings are embarrassing and sum up everything wrong with our milquetoast government.
if this guy deserves to be in the position he's in then ask him to name at least 10 valid reasons that the iran 'war' is more important than feeding poverty stricken american children. i put war in parenthesis since iran is incapable of fighting back since we're 6k miles away.
as a bonus question ask him how long it'd take to drive a ford mustang that distance @ full throttle when considering an unlimited tank of gas. should be a cakewalk for someone in that position of power.
60 Comments
Sharkticon@lemmy.zip · 109 pts · 64d
And he's a liar so triple that at minimum.
HootinNHollerin@piefed.social · 100 pts · 64d
The Bush administration predicted 50 billion. Iraq cost the US 6 trillion.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 64d
But wasn't it so worth it?! /s
Trampampoline@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 64d
Yes, actually. To the villainous scum we call our leaders, it is worth it.
They've been seeding the Middle East with vengeful fury for the last 40+ years. Not only did we ensure a 100% chance of some sort of counter-offensive or rebellion to jumpstart the next war, but we've made doubly sure that they will echo war after war after war forever as new Muslim teens are raised and given a guiding finger at the US for all of life's troubles, not that they're entirely wrong.
So up up up goes defense spending and up up up goes the war bonds and up up up goes the petrol, forever. This is how the US war machine works.
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 64d
[This ]
cost trillions of dollars and millions of lives to create
I guess all the data centers eating your local water supply are better because…smart machine thinks good? What the fuck is this timeline
TrickDacy@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 64d
I'm truly clueless what you're saying. Smart machine? You do understand I was being sarcastic..?
lobut@lemmy.ca · 54 pts · 64d
Remember this number when they say they can't afford any social programs ...
Kjell@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 63d
They can't afford any social program after all the money they spend on this war.
Mac@mander.xyz · 52 pts · 64d
Taxpayers: "$37.5b 😵💫"
Heggy: "$37.5b so far!"
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 63d
Really. If this were another Afghanistan, we're like a couple percent of the way through.
trublu@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 38 pts · 64d
#WeCouldHaveHadHealthCare
treehugger6@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 63d
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org · 9 pts · 63d
In terms of roads, a lot, but probably not as much as you're thinking. The US DOT is allowed like 300 billion in a year.
On the other hand, saving the poorest of the poor is cheap, and 37.5 would make all the difference. The World Food Program wanted 13 this year and didn't get it.
krisevol@lemmus.org · 8 pts · 63d
If you are thinking about just straight money sure, but we run on debt. If the US Treasury bonds kept getting sold off because everyone was buying gold to trade oil in Chinese yuan America was going to go bankrupt. That would make more starving kids. This was an attempt to keep the debt machine going for a little while longer before the end. America feeds it's people with debt, not cash right now.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 63d
It is in a country that votes 99% every election for the same two warmongering parties.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 64d
We were burning over ten billy a month during the Iraq War.
spock@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 64d
I don't understand why people think this is a good use of their tax money. Everyone complains about state taxes when it is much less and pays for everything you see and use. Then you have federal taxes which are a massive black hole.
pentastarm@piefed.ca · 16 pts · 64d
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 28 pts · 64d
OMG this real?
E: Sadly no
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 16 pts · 64d
He looks like every college rapist ever
daannii@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 64d
He looked 40 in highschool. Weird.
pentastarm@piefed.ca · 6 pts · 64d
Awww darn I was hoping it was real, but I was having a hard time verifying :(
CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 64d
Mfer looked worse in the real photo.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 63d
Shame. That would have had real "Paul Ryan likes RATM" energy.
ms_lane@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 64d
I think you'll find it's the Vice President who wore black nail polish to school...
BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 64d
You must have watched some questioning today.
Urist@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 64d
I have no sympathy for Americans caring about the tax payer cost while ignoring their complicity in imperialist wars (yes, it is plural). If you are not protesting as hard the annexation and extraction of Venezuela's oil, the embargo of Cuba (shit, I am getting tired of listing crimes against humanity), you are not protesting war, you are protesting losing and you should not expect anyone in the world to feel sorry for you.
mirshafie@europe.pub · 8 pts · 64d
This is what we expect from Americans though. They decry the loss of American lives, even when those specific persons were involved in murdering people who aren't and don't want to be American.
You'll notice that people from other places don't talk that way. Europeans don't talk about "French lives," Japanese don't talk about "Japanese lives," and Iranians don't talk about "Iranian lives." It's a uniquely American thing and it's all about an ingrained sense of American exceptionalism.
ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip · 14 pts · 63d
Even if that weren't a blatant lie, that's only the direct cost of the operation. Not what it cost the country (through the massive fuel cost increases and the knock on effect to the cost of everything else from that, the fertilizer shortages and upcoming food price hike with the subpar harvest, etc)
dwzap@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 64d
FWIW we've been seeing that amount be advertised for months. So either people talking about the fact that "the war having cost $40bn so far" were wrong months ago, or this number is under-evaluated for political reasons. Or both.
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 10 pts · 64d
Seems cheap for the amount of hardware expended. I would not be surprised if there is another set of books involved.
tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 64d
"Every gun that is made..."
blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 64d
Everyone is focusing on the taxpayer cost, which is of course exorbitant. But try instead thinking about how many private jets the weapon manufacturers and politicians in their pocket are getting out of it.
Mihies@programming.dev · 2 pts · 64d
Or, how many innocent children died for that.
daannii@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 64d
Wasn't it reported higher than that for the first month alone ?
CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 63d
I bet the decimal is at least one place to the right.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org · 6 pts · 63d
It does seem low, doesn't it? It might add up, that's a bit less than 20,000 2 million dollar missiles, and a lot of it is actually going to be on labour or other things. It is a more impressive figure when you consider how long this has been going on.
Not to mention, the weapons being used are niche and pretty hard to replace on any reasonable timeline. It's not the same as expending the same value in concrete or grain.
mPony@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 63d
everything else in that country is being forcibly moved to the right
ms_lane@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 64d
Australia's total NBN build out cost ~US$36 billion (AU$51 billion) for comparison. That's including rolling parts of it out twice since we half-arsed some of it the first time.
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 5 pts · 64d
That's actually a lot less than I expected.
troglodytis@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 64d
Pretty high chance it is inaccurate.
Rothe@piefed.social · 10 pts · 64d
Because he lied about the actual number.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 64d
Yeah but it also raised prices around the world, including in the US, and this money could have gone to its inhabitants instead, so in reality it has costed the American tax payer and many of its companies much more. Also, he's a lying piece of shit so who knows what it actually costs.
whereitsat@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 63d
costs that much to do nothing lol.
the clips i saw from those hearings are embarrassing and sum up everything wrong with our milquetoast government.
if this guy deserves to be in the position he's in then ask him to name at least 10 valid reasons that the iran 'war' is more important than feeding poverty stricken american children. i put war in parenthesis since iran is incapable of fighting back since we're 6k miles away.
as a bonus question ask him how long it'd take to drive a ford mustang that distance @ full throttle when considering an unlimited tank of gas. should be a cakewalk for someone in that position of power.
dudinax@programming.dev · 5 pts · 64d
And yet Hegseth still has his job. I want my money back.
KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org · 4 pts · 64d
Peter eater is a liar.
roserose56@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 63d
Hey, you could just not attack and cost 0. But USA likes wars, likes killing people and complain about the costs.
grimpy@lemmy.myserv.one · 4 pts · 64d
“In Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” —Pete Pentagone
ramble81@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 64d
And what do we have to show for it? That’s what I thought….
Bakkoda@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 64d
Lol you weren't supposed to benefit from this. They were. And they did.
susi7802@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 64d
Up goes the inflation.
the_armchair_potato@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 63d
America is being run by dangerous clowns 😬
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 64d
How much money have Netanjahu and Trump contributed to pay for their personal folly?
WanderWisley@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 63d
Hegseth has alcohol derangement syndrome.
spagbolioli@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 63d
Yeah and the rest pal
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 63d
So better be prepared to find some sponsors. Because why should the taxpayer finance Trumps follies?
phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 64d
And what possible reason do we have to believe anything he says?
unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 64d
How does respond without shrieking in fury
Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 64d
Make Israel pay for the war they wanted America to fight
Kirp123@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 64d
I mean they're just gonna pay with US money anyways. Better skip the middleman lol
Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 63d
Fair point