Now that the funding for Eternal War has been graciously approved through the middle of next year, National Priorities Project has updated their numbers. NPP are the people who let you know what the billions of dollars in blood money could have bought in a saner and less corrupt world. Here are the trade offs for my Congressional District, PA-08:
Taxpayers in Congressional District 8 (Murphy) will pay $1.9 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
Taxpayers in Congressional District 8 (Murphy) will pay $1.9 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
467,567 People with Health Care for One Year OR 2,276,800 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR 41,494 Public Safety Officers for One year OR 28,843 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR 155,636 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR 19,241 Affordable Housing Units OR 594,223 Children with Health Care for One Year OR 296,734 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR 30,008 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR 26,390 Port Container Inspectors for One yearIf you're like me, you find the numbers daunting. I find it helpful to focus on one of the trade offs. For instance, for the $1.9B Bucks County is spending to kill Iraqis, electrocute and otherwise damage our soldiers, raise oil prices, destabilize the Middle East and enrich war profiteers, we could have provided one year of health insurance to 467,567 people. There are only 355,408 people in Bucks County.
End. This. War.
Um...is that title a trick question?
Posted by: mick arran | July 14, 2008 at 01:16 PM