Nation building in Iraq is costing some serious amount of money. Money we DO NOT have!
Posted : September 3, 2004 at 2:12 pm [America/Los_Angeles]
The latest issue of Mother
Jones documents quite succinctly how this administration’s nation-building in the guise of terror-fighting has
made America distinctly less safe.A few examples:
Amount needed for basic security upgrades for subway and commuter
trains in large cities: $6 billion (equivalent spending in Iraq: 20 days).Bush budget allocation for train security: $100 million (Iraq equivalent: 8 hours).
Amount needed to equip all U.S. airports with machines that screen
baggage for explosives: $3 billion (Iraq equivalent: 10 days).Bush budget allocation for baggage-screening machines: $400 million (Iraq equivalent: 32 hours).
Amount needed for security upgrades at 361 U.S. ports: $1.1 billion (Iraq equivalent: 4 days).
Bush budget allocation for port security: $210 million (Iraq equivalent: 17 hours).
Amount needed to buy radiation portals for U.S. ports to detect dirty bombs in cargo: $290 million (Iraq equivalent: 23 hours).
Bush budget allocation for radiation portals: $43 million (Iraq equivalent: 3 hours).
Amount needed to help local firefighters prepare for terrorist attacks: $36.8 billion (Iraq equivalent: 122 days).
Bush budget allocation for firefighter grants: $500 million (Iraq equivalent: 40 hours).
Amount needed to get local emergency medical crews ready for terrorist atttacks: $1.4 billion (Iraq equivalent: 5 days).
Bush budget allocation for emergency medical training grants prior to eliminating the program altogether: $50 million (Iraq equivalent: 4 hours).
Any further questions? Ask your nearest cheering Republican.
- Anand
Category: United (or not) State of American Politics 2004