Yeah this number is way off. A better estimate is 5-6 trillion and many will say that's also likely too low. A solid estimate, when you factor in excessive defense spending that wasn't technically spent on one war, is 10+ trillion dollars.
The funny thing is that many Americans are perfectly happy with this... but if you bring up, say, universal healthcare they rage against the very idea of the government spending so much money.
> The funny thing is that many Americans are perfectly happy with this... but if you bring up, say, universal healthcare they rage against the very idea of the government spending so much money.
You're over-simplifying the healthcare issue. It's not just about money. It's about individual rights and responsibility of the government.
That $1.5 billion goes to saving lives and curing people, the $900 million goes to ending lives illegally. We could funnel that $900 million into Medicare and help a whole lot more people.
That's a pretty narrow viewpoint, and the military spending could be spun equally disingeniously:
"The $900M goes to vocational training, employment, and cutting-edge equipment for a large slice of physically-fit working age Americans. The $1500M predominantly goes to squeezing an additional 6 months of life expectancy out of retirees and the disabled."
So which of those is really adding more value to the nation?
If you're including treating veterans wouldn't you have ti average over the expected lifespans of those who served instead of the 17 years that have occurred so far?
