... I just saw a news article that reported the estimated damage from the California wildfires has reached $1 billion. That's about the same as the cost of two days of war in Iraq.

One trillion dollars is $1,000,000,000,000.

2.4 trillion dollars is $2,400,000,000,000.

There are approximately 26 million Iraqis and 31 million Afghans (according to Wikipedia). There are approximately 300 million Americans.

This comes out to the United States spending nearly $50,000 per man, women and child in those countries. That means an average family of 5 has had $250,000 spent on them. That is about five times the gross income of the average American family. With the buying power of dollars, this is the same as spending about 20 years of each Iraqis gross income on each of its citizen, yet now more Iraqis live in poverty then before the war. The money means even more in Afghanistan.

I wonder if we would all have been better off to have dropped cash and made them all consumers like us.

And we will spend $8000 per man women and child in the US. That is about $32,000 per family or about 8 months of gross income. I am sure American families cannot think of anything better to do with $32,000 - like better schools, health care, roads, or a dozen flat panel plasma tvs?

Instead, we have blown the money up and lost many of our valuable young minds and bodies for a reason that may never be clear and likely will not be worth it.

"I'm not worried about the number," Perino said."What I'm worried about is making sure that the president gets what he needs in order to provide the safety and security for the country."

Why is Dana Perino talking as if she's the one who makes everything run?

Don't tell me! She's the Monica Goodling of the White House?

"I'm not worried about the number," Perino said."What I'm worried about is making sure that the president gets what he needs in order to provide the safety and security for the country."

Seriously. Wow. When the bill for all this debt comes due, I'm sure Ms. Perino will say that the president had to destroy America (financially anyway) in order to save it. Her disingenuous attitude is so far beyond the worst examples provided by Fleischer or Snow.

Cohassett has the right of it. Had we just given 50K to every man, women, and child in Iraq and Afghanistan, we, and they, would be far better off. But, then, of course, Cheney's buddies in the defense industry would *not* be better off, and that's just not acceptable.

Besides, one of the main points of this war (among a number of them), was to enable Bush and Cheney to aggrandize the power Cheney's wanted the President to have for over 30 years..This is a lifetime-project for ol' Dick. So giving money to the Iraqis instead was hardly an option. Remember, this war is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It never was.

Question: is Dana Perrino actually as dumb as she sounds? Inquiring minds want to know. She sure sounds about as dumb as a post, most of the time.

I keep hoping the *next* egregious fact will finally send Bush and Cheney's sponsors over the edge. It never happens though. This fact about the cost of the war...will it have any real effect?

this war will ultimately be financed by the grateful citizens of a free Iraq, using oil revenues...

Don't you all remember? Between peddling a laughably small dollar estimate for the war, that's all neocons could talk about in the Spring of 2003.

No wonder they don't want to talk about numbers at all now; they would rather we just give Bush anything they say he "needs."

Well how about this: I "need" my country back from incompetent revolutionaries cross-dressed as serious conservatives.

The president just called me and told me his plan. He says he can make the country safe and secure, but unfortunately you will have to take a pay cut. Your new yearly salary is $50 (fifty dollars). No health care or other benefits either, I'm afraid. Too socialized. Quit expecting government to do it all for you. Maybe you can pick up a graveyard shift at the Quick-E-Mart.

Thanks in advance for being on board with this plan. You're the best!

I weep when I think of what could have been done with this money toward meeting the critical needs of this society. Just think of what could have been done if we put these resources into health care, education, the infrastructure, preserving Social Security, or developing ways to cope with climate change.

These figures confirm more and more that the country is going to go bankrupt by the end of the century. Or maybe even by the middle of it.

Dana Perino gives the term "dumb blonde" a revived meaning.

"I'm not worried about the number," Perino said."What I'm worried about is making sure that the president gets what he needs in order to provide the safety and security for the country."

Well I imagine that Dana's not worried about the number because her boss isn't worried. Her boss isn't worried because he isn't planning to be there when the bill comes due.

Every time I hear one of the Republidroid congressfools talk about "tax and spend libruls" I'm so glad that Junior is a borrow and spend conservative, that way we get a pair of wonderful foreign adventures *and* a dollar that has all the strength of the old Italian lira.

Feeling safer and more secure yet?

I remember hearing an estimate that it would cost $500 billion to modernize the nation's power grid to handle the ever increasing demand. Seemed like a large number at that time along with all the other pressing issues like health care, education, and social security that were also demanding attention.

I can only hope that those 40% of the eligible voting population that fail to vote will finally make their voices heard in 2008. Their failure to vote most likely gives those 30% in the far right fringe, the people that continue to support this neocon agenda, far more clout than they desire.