Get Down To Brass Tacks

From a new report, let this sink in:

"The U.S. government has already spent $904 billion since 2001 to wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and both of those conflicts are far from over."

But this war was well planned out with an end goal and exit strategy? No, that's right. There was never an exit strategy because they never intended on leaving. Building 30+ permanent bases in Iraq ring a bell. Add Exit Strategy to WMD and Yellow Cake in your Lists Of Bush Myths.

And thank god Bush didn't raise taxes to pay for his war. He borrowed the money. Everyone knows borrowing money with interest is always better than just paying something off. Maybe get a loan shark involved. Add this to your misery:

"the CSBA study warns that the additional burden of accrued interest payments could easily push that tab to $2.5 trillion, depending on how the cost is financed."

And let's give it some perspective:

"That's a steep price, even compared with past conflicts. 'In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the war in Iraq alone has already cost more than every past U.S. war but World War II,' the study finds."

And show motive:

"The Bush administration has budgeted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in a way that differs markedly from the approach typically used to fund past wars. Because of its reliance on supplemental appropriations, often submitted in the middle of the year and supported by inadequate justification materials, the process has reduced the ability of Congress to exercise effective oversight. It has also tended to obscure the long-term costs and budgetary consequences of ongoing military operations."

Remember when President Bush's chief economic adviser, Larry Lindsey, said back in 2003 that the Iraq war would cost from $100 billion to $200 billion? For that frank appraisal, he was fired.

Source: US News & World Report