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And America is supposed to spend $1 trillion+ per year so that a thousand women can keep banking jobs? Many middle eastern countries are extremely conservative.

And America is supposed to spend $1 trillion+ per year so that a thousand women can keep banking jobs? Many middle eastern countries are extremely conservative. We can't police Afghanistan nor the world. Should never have been there, should never have stayed, should have gotten out far faster.

bpodgursky 5y ago
The US did not spend $1 trillion per year. We spent $1 trillion over 20 years. The cost per year since 2012 was about $50B.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/figures/2021/Human%20and%20Budgetary%20Costs%20of%20Afghan%20War%2C%202001-2021.pdf https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/figures/2... > Since invading Afghanistan in 2001, the United States has spent $2.26 trillion on the war, which includes operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Note that this total does not include funds that the United States government is obligated to spend on lifetime care for American veterans of this war, nor does it include future interest payments on money borrowed to fund the war. And even if it is $50B per year, I do not see why the US should spend it unless it we should also be spending $50B per year in Somalia and Congo and wherever else is needed.
  - bpodgursky 5y ago
    The lead infographic explicitly includes interest payments. Either way, this is tangental to what I said, which is that we are spending $50B per year now, which is accurate: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/09/12/the-annual-cost-of-the-war-in-afghanistan-since-2001-infographic/?sh=567e60191971 https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/09/12/the-an...
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      The distinction is future interest payments.
      - bpodgursky 5y ago
        By that definition, any federal spending at all has infinite cost, because the national debt is never going to get repaid — it just compounds forever.
randomopining 5y ago
Bush and his crew are mostly to blame. Although Obama could've done something after the momentum from Osama's demise. I've read Biden was anti-afghan war since 2009. It really is a waste when you figure we are going to be in an all-out global conflict with the CCP, Russia, NK, Iran in about 5-10 years.

bpodgursky 5y ago

The US did not spend $1 trillion per year. We spent $1 trillion over 20 years. The cost per year since 2012 was about $50B.

lotsofpulp 5y ago
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/figures/2021/Human%20and%20Budgetary%20Costs%20of%20Afghan%20War%2C%202001-2021.pdf https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/figures/2... > Since invading Afghanistan in 2001, the United States has spent $2.26 trillion on the war, which includes operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Note that this total does not include funds that the United States government is obligated to spend on lifetime care for American veterans of this war, nor does it include future interest payments on money borrowed to fund the war. And even if it is $50B per year, I do not see why the US should spend it unless it we should also be spending $50B per year in Somalia and Congo and wherever else is needed.
- bpodgursky 5y ago
  The lead infographic explicitly includes interest payments. Either way, this is tangental to what I said, which is that we are spending $50B per year now, which is accurate: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/09/12/the-annual-cost-of-the-war-in-afghanistan-since-2001-infographic/?sh=567e60191971 https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/09/12/the-an...
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    The distinction is future interest payments.
    - bpodgursky 5y ago
      By that definition, any federal spending at all has infinite cost, because the national debt is never going to get repaid — it just compounds forever.

randomopining 5y ago

Bush and his crew are mostly to blame. Although Obama could've done something after the momentum from Osama's demise. I've read Biden was anti-afghan war since 2009. It really is a waste when you figure we are going to be in an all-out global conflict with the CCP, Russia, NK, Iran in about 5-10 years.