I'm asking this as a layperson when it comes to spending, because I honestly have no idea. How much money goes to Iraq and Afghanistan (and everywhere else we're engaged in a war), and of that money, what is the overall percentage of what the US spends in any given year?
I know Ron Paul is a radical thinker when it comes to foreign policy and defense spending... but he always seems to say that if we got our of the middle east our financial problems at home would be solved, or at least helped quite a bit.
So what are the actual numbers? And is "defense spending" what the general cost of war falls under?
His thing extends further than the middle east. Just wanted to point that out.
It depends on how the budget is drafted. Under bush the war costs were not included in the begin year budget and were allocatted as the wars went on. Most of your defense spending is typically the cost to research, develop, purchase equipment and genaral cost to maintain it...from pensions to salaries to bases and drills, to homeland security, fbi, and cia.......it is all encompassing. Border patrol coast guard are included as well....
Your war costs are usually outside the proposed budgets.
It is dificult to get an exact figure. Mainly because all the analysis differ so much and the salary and travel costs are included. These would be expenditures the military would acrue even without the war. But with that said.
Libya. 4 million per day average.
Afghanistan 300 million per day.
Iraq 150 million per day.
Keep in mind this also includes the costs to run ships off the shores in the region...which would be running on patrol elswhere anyway.
To get the true cost of war is difficult. As you can see. Plus there are intagbibles such as va bills and such later that can never be predicted....
Another example...the bases in germany cost 102 billion annually for 227 bases.
Could some be cut? Sure......but the short term cost to relocate, tear down, and remove any dangerous items is more than it costs to maintain.
