I know how to save $1 Trillion per year

[margotb822]

END THE FREAKIN' WARS!!!!

[LearnedHand]

1. I'm just WAITING for someone to make that point

:mad:

[Zynx]

2. They cost about $220 billion a year, not $1 trillion. It's important, but it's not a trillion.

[BeFree]

6. Around the world?

More than a trillion. You see, we spend billions to war and get ready to war, and other countries spend their billions, and it all adds up to a trillion. We end the wars, we all save a trillion, easy. That and a whole bunch of lives worth more than any money amount - priceless, I think is the correct word.

[Zynx]

10. That has little to do with our budget.

[LiberalFighter]

7. The war itself might cost about $220B what about the costs to the economy

because those part-time soldiers aren't at their real jobs? And the costs to the economy because the finances were divert for war instead of needs at home.

[Zynx]

11. That's both wars.

300,000 soldiers don't generate $780 billion of economic activity. Not even close.

[LiberalFighter]

13. The money not spent on the wars could nearly double the $220B

Then add in what companies lost because their employees were called up.

[Clio the Leo]

3. lol, ok, now, tell us your plan to end the freakin wars? NT

[margotb822]

8. Haha, now that's above my paygrade

But, I think a good start would be new people in the Pentagon. We haven't gotten any new leadership, and that's stopping the thoughts from even getting out there. We don't have the right people planning, and the people that are there (still) believe that Saddam was tied to 9/11.

[stillcool]

12. I think of this article whenever...

the subject of the Pentagon comes to mind...it still gives me pause..there's lots of other great articles here, about the challenge we face regarding the Pentagon.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Foreign_Policy/US_ForeignPolicy.html

The Mega-Pentagon: A Bush-Enabled Monster We Can't Stop
The Pentagon has developed a taste for unrivaled power and unequaled access to the treasury that won't be easily undone by future administrations.
by Frida Berrigan, Tomdispatch.com
www.alternet.org/, May 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/86573/

[margotb822]

14. I'll have to check this out

Thanks for the link.

[Joyce78]

4. Another solution ...

Term Limits. Eliminate the access of the lobbyists to the House of Lords (our Senate) and the Reps who represent their own self-interests and NOT OURS.

[valerief]

5. You got that right! nt

[RoccoR5955]

9. DUH! Brilliant deduction Holmes!

Do you really think that the military/police/prison/industrial complex would let them?
This country spends more money on "defense" in peacetime, than the rest of the world's countries COMBINED!
Also, we have more people in prison, per capita than the rest of the civilized world.
The corporations that run these 'industries' own the politicians, and wouldn't let their livelihood go for anything!