can you imagine if the dollars we are currently spending on war . . .

[OneBlueSky]

we being spent instead on pursuing peace and prosperity for all? . . . through diplomacy and education? . . . can you imagine the results that could be achieved? . . .

or if even HALF of what we spend on war were devoted to peace? . . . and the other half to solving some our most pressing problems (environmental destruction, global warming, healthcare, infrastructure, and Katrina recovery, to name but a few)? . . .

can you imagine the progress that could take place? . . . how both human actions and human consciousness could be altered, and for the better? . . .

the assumption underlying this notion is, of course, fantasy . . . to assume that the government is in the business of helping people and solving problems may have once been at least partly true, but today it's a tragi-comedy fiction . . .

that's simply NOT what our government does . . .

[Peter Frank]

1. Get over it...

Get to work on exposing the corruption responsible for the war.

[OneBlueSky]

5. much of the corruption is centered in the Defense Department . . .

and the percentage of the federal budget that goes to "defense" is larger than all other nations COMBINED . . . the purpose/result of the corruption is spending our money in the wrong places, with the wrong parties, and for the wrong purposes . . . that's among the things that need to be exposed -- and high on the list . . .

[Telly Savalas]

15. It wasn't corruption that was responsible for the war.

The lies that the war were founded upon were pretty goddamn transparent and anybody with a critical eye half open at the time knew that the White House was bullshitting us. Many people were willing to believe these lies though because instead of having the humanist idealism of the OP, they'd rather buy into some sort of quasi-facist jingoism. So "get over it" is probably the worst advice that can be given here. Until the majority thinks like the OP do, we're going to keep getting mendacious right-wing assholes at the top tiers of government.

[Selatius]

2. America had some good leaders like that back in the 1960s, but...

they all got assassinated, and they're not coming back.

[libodem]

3. If all that money went into preparedness for disaster

in our own country and for assistance world wide. I truly believe our priorities are all wrong.

[Syrinx]

4. I was thinking about that the other day.

We are very miserly when it comes to helping people. Yet we are very "generous" when it comes to killing them.

[Journeyman]

6. Here's Rep John Murtha's take on that very idea. . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-murtha/time-to-change-direction_b_18834.html


Here is what we can buy with the money we are currently spending on the war:

At the Administration’s current average rate of spending, it will take 47 years to implement the security requirements needed to secure our ports. Yet we can accomplish this with just one month of war spending.

Our local police, fire and emergency responders are dangerously underfunded. About $19.6 billion is needed over the next five years to meet these needs. We can accomplish this with about 3 ½ months of war spending.

As of FY 2006, despite terrorist attacks on transit systems in Japan and Spain, less than $550 million had been provided to improve rail and transit security since September 11th. The transit industry estimates that about 6 billion is needed to make the necessary security enhancements. One month of war funding can pay for this.

The President’s budget for FY07 increases health care premiums for 3.1 million on our nation’s military retirees under 65. Premiums will double and triple and drug co-payments will increase, costing our military retirees $2.4 billion over 5 years. We can roll back the President’s budget recommendations with less than a half a month of war spending.

<more at link>

[Syrinx]

7. great post

I knew the money could be spent much more wisely, but this helps to quantify it. Thanks!

[Journeyman]

8. One month of war costs us about $6 billion. . .

which means we pay about $200 million per day, about $8.3 million per hour, and close to $140,000 per minute.

So next time someone says, "Oh, we can't keep the library open as much as before -- that'd cost $1.5 million a year," tell 'em that's about 10 minutes of war.

Use it as a unit of measure:

"Oh, it'll cost $300 million for the new burn ward at the VA hospital? That's about 35 IraqAttaq hours."

"The new playground for the school will cost $200,000? That's less than 2 IraqAttaq minutes."

"$2 billion to innoculate every child in America? That's little more than an IraqAttaq week -- better get planning how to implement it!"

[theHandpuppet]

12. That's worth a handbill

I'd like to stick a copy of this on the windshield of every flag-waving, "W" stickered vehicle in every mall and fundie church parking lot in America.

[sandnsea]

9. $55 billion per year

If the US would contribute it's legitimate share, other countries would likely step up and contribute their shares. We could end global poverty, that simply. With just 10% of the defense and war budgets. End poverty. This is the sin of all time, that we don't do this.

[NMMNG]

10. But of course

"We couldn't possibly afford universal health care" they cry and wring their hands, yet gladly fork over several billion more every month for Dumbya's fiasco in Iraq.

"We must cut services to the poor, the elderly and the disabled because we simply don't have the money in our budget" they clamor, then give billionares more tax cuts.



They're so full of manure I can smell them a mile away. :puke:

[cassiepriam]

11. I often think of this too, what good we could have done with

all the billions going to kill the Iraqis and ending up in the
hands of corrupt corporations.

[FloridaPat]

13. Our gov't would never add $3 trillion to the nat'l debt for peace

or prosperity for all.

[Deja Q]

14. Wrong. We're giving prosperity and education to India and China.

Americans can't be retrained, that's their decision it seems.

[moondust]

16. Alternative energy.

We got the wake-up call in the early 70s. Government is best suited to handle such long-term projects but it has seemingly done next to nothing. If this one project had been undertaken in the spirit of, say, JFK's challenge to land on the moon, what a different world it would be today...

[Neil Lisst]

17. school children are sharing books!

we can't afford for our kids to all have books

[Libby2]

18. I sure can imagine it. (nt)

[madokie]

19. Hell, just think where we would be if we weren't spending the money at all

that in itself would be a big improvement.
When does the march start.

[mondo joe]

20. The words "Public Works Projects" spring to mind.

But that wouldn't put money into the pockets of the right people.