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09/08/2004 02:01:01 AM · #151 |
Looks like Mr. Bush's truncated enlistment in the Texas Air National Guard is going to be revisited.
Tomorrow, September 8th, CBS will air an interview with former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes; wherein he discloses that the Bush family, through associates, approached him to pull some strings to get the young George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard -- thus avoiding Vietnam. (See the 60 Minutes page here.)
And, of course, there's the A.P.'s freedom of information suit which reveals that at least 5 key documents are missing from Mr. Bush's National Guard record. The missing documents are:
* Records of a required investigation into why [Mr.] Bush lost flight status. When Bush skipped his 1972 physical, regulations required his Texas commanders to "direct an investigation as to why the individual failed to accomplish the medical examination," according to the Air Force manual at the time.
* A written acknowledgment from [Mr.] Bush that he had received the orders grounding him, [after losing his flight status].
* Reports of formal counseling sessions [Mr.] Bush was required to have after missing more than three training sessions. Bush missed at least five months' worth of National Guard training in 1972.
* A signed statement from [Mr.] Bush acknowledging he could be called to active duty if he did not promptly transfer to another guard unit after leaving Texas. The statement was required as part of a Vietnam-era crackdown on no-show guardsmen.
* A report from the Texas Air National Guard to Bush's local draft board certifying that Bush remained in good standing.
Read the A.P. article here.
Meantime, we have an organization with demonstrable ties to the Bush campaign smearing Mr. Kerry's heroic war record; and, still, Mr. Bush's supporters (many of whom claim to be pro-military) stand by their man, like a battered wife.
As I've written on another thread, to quote conservatives of yesteryear, America, where is the moral outrage? A genuine war hero is smeared, simply to advance Mr. Bush's agenda, and I don't hear a peep from so-called military supporters.
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09/11/2004 09:57:54 AM · #152 |
he Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War
August 25, 2004
The Iraq war continues to be a drain on the American taxpayers' pocketbooks. So far, the war has cost the United States $144.4 billion, including $25 billion in the administration's FY05 defense budget signed into law earlier this month. An additional $60 billion is expected in a supplemental request after the November elections. According to the Defense Department, the cost of containing Saddam Hussein over 12 years was only $30 billion. ÂÂ
While no one disputes the evil and oppressive nature of Saddam Hussein's regime, as the 9/11 Commission made clear in its final report, Iraq was not involved in the planning or execution of the September 11 attacks and did not have a "collaborative operational relationship," according to its final report. The September 11 attacks necessitated an increase in homeland security funding – the administration's request for the coming fiscal year is $47.5 billion. However, according to the Center for American Progress, many homeland security priorities are presently under-funded or unfunded – port security, airline cargo screening and community policing programs.
More could be done to better secure or eliminate nuclear weapons, material and technology to prevent terrorists from developing and exploding nuclear or dirty bombs. While progress is being made in Afghanistan, increased aid faster will give democracy its best chance of taking hold and help eliminate the flourishing drug trade in Afghanistan that funds global terrorist activities. Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll on our troops. A larger Army and more special operations forces would take some of the current strain off the National Guard and reserves and improve the military's ability to eliminate actual terrorist safe havens in the future. These are just a few proposals that would have represented a better investment in America's security than the $144.4 billion Iraq "war of choice."
The question lingers: Could the $144.4 billion spent on Iraq been better used to protect the American people from terrorist threats? The Center for American Progress offers this answer. ÂÂ
* $7.5 billion to safeguard our ports. The Coast Guard estimates that $7.5 billion is needed over 10 years to implement the requirements of the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act, which aims to protect America's ports and waterways from a terrorist attack. Since 9/11, the federal government has allocated less than $500 million to counter this threat.
* $4 billion to expedite upgrading the Coast Guard fleet. This investment over the next five years would cut in half the 20-year timetable for replacing and upgrading the Coast Guard's fleet of cutters, patrol aircraft, and communications equipment.
* $2 billion to improve cargo security. This would help cover costs associated with the Cargo Security Initiative, which deploys customs inspectors to ports around the world to screen cargo before it goes to the United States.
______________________
* $10 billion to protect all U.S. commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles. These systems, based on existing military technology, would help reduce the danger from the estimated 100,000 shoulder-fired missiles circulating in the world's black markets.ÂÂ
* $5 billion to purchase state-of-the-art baggage screening machines. This would fulfill the Congressional mandate to install in all commercial airports new systems that integrate baggage screening and baggage handling. Only eight of the nation's 440 airports have the new machines, and the administration has requested only $250 million for equipment this year.
* $240 million to equip the airports with walk-through explosive detectors. According to the 9/11 commission, it's still too easy for passengers with hidden explosives to make it through airport security.
______________________
* $7 billion to put 100,000 police officers the nation's streets. $7 billion would fully fund for five years the 1996 Community Oriented Policing Services program, which was designed to put 100,000 new community police officers on America's streets. The administration has cut the funding for the program to $97 million in the proposed FY05 budget.
* $2.5 billion to increase funding for fire departments. This would double the size of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for each of the next five years. President Bush requested only $500 million for FY05, a drop from $750 million in FY04. Money from the program goes for trucks, protective clothing, hoses, and other equipment.
* $350 million for integrating emergency radio systems nationwide. Equipment to patch together existing police, fire, and other public safety radio systems throughout the country would cost $350 million.
* $3 billion to secure major roads and rails. $3 billion would secure all the major roads and railways in the nation's largest metropolitan areas. Improving surveillance, training railway workers, and developing new explosive detection equipment would increase passenger safety. The administration has focused its funding on aviation security, but has provided less than $200 million in last year's budget.
______________________
* $30.5 billion to secure from theft the world's nuclear weapons-grade material. Securing the world's fissile material would enormously reduce the chance that lethal weapons-grade material could be made into nuclear and radiological weapons. A 10-year $30 billion program would ensure material security and weapon dismantlement in the former Soviet Union. Another $500 million would fund a "global cleanout program," aimed at removing dangerous nuclear materials from the most vulnerable nuclear sites worldwide.
* $2.25 billion to expedite the work of the Nunn-Lugar Threat Reduction program. Doubling this program's budget each year for the next five years would accelerate Nunn-Lugar, which has helped deactivate over 6,000 nuclear warheads in the former Soviet Union and the United States. The FY04 Defense budget provided only $450 million for the program.ÂÂ
______________________
* $24 billion to add two divisions to the Army. With commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army is increasingly stretched thin. Two additional divisions could be added to the Army over the next five years at a cost of $4.8 billion a year. A larger army would help take the pressure off America's overtapped National Guardsmen and Reservists.
* $15.5 billion to double the number of active-duty troops in the Special Operations Forces. The United States has roughly 25,000 Special Operations Forces. These elite military fighting units played a critical role in Afghanistan and continue to be highly effective in tracking down terrorists. Doubling the 25,000 troops in the Special Operations Forces would cost $7 billion and an additional $8.5 billion would help maintain the new forces over the next five years.ÂÂ
______________________
* $8.6 billion to rebuild Afghanistan. The government of Afghanistan has said it needs $27.6 billion for reconstruction activities over the next seven years such as rebuilding infrastructure, education, health, and disarmament programs. The country has received to date only $2.9 billion of the $19 billion pledged by the international community. $8.6 billion over the next seven years would make up this shortfall and help Afghanistan from reverting to a haven for terrorists.
* $11 billion to buy Afghanistan's opium crop. Afghanistan's illicit opium drug trade brings in a profit of $2.3 billion each year, much of which goes to fund terrorist activities. A five-year program to buy Afghanistan's opium crop would provide initial and continuing funding for farmers to permanently shift from growing opium to cultivating other crops or starting microenterprises.
______________________
* $10 billion to increase U.S. development assistance to the neediest countries. The current foreign assistance budget is $19.27 billion, including foreign military funding and the State Department's operating budget. $13.8 billion goes to countries other than Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. Increasing the non-military development assistance budget by $10 billion over the next five years to countries other than Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan, would help improve economic opportunities, health care, and education worldwide.
* $775 million to dramatically increase public diplomacy. $775 million would quadruple America's public diplomacy efforts in the Arab and Muslim world, as well as triple funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, each year for the next five years. The United States could use this funding to build bridges in Arab and Muslim communities and nations.
Michael Pan, P.J. Crowley, Amanda Terkel, and Robert O. Boorstin all contributed to this report.
************************
Sources:ÂÂ
$144.4 billion for the Iraq War: "Iraq Costs At $119.4 Billion -- And Rising," Miami Herald, June 2, 2004. In addition, the Administration signed into law an additional $25 billion for Iraq in the FY05 Defense budget.ÂÂ
$2.5 billion per year to contain Saddam Hussein: "Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz Interview with England Cable News," March 23, 2003. Wolfowitz stated that it cost the United States roughly $30 billion for twelve years to contain Saddam Hussein before the Iraq War.
$30.5 billion to secure from theft the world's nuclear weapons-grade material: "A Report Card on the Department of Energy's Nonproliferation Programs With Russia," Baker-Cutler Commission, January 10, 2001, Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, U.S. Department of Energy. The Commission estimates $3 billion per year for the next ten years for fissile material security and disposition in Russian and the NIS. "Controlling Nuclear Warheads and Materials: A Report Card and Action Plan," Matthew Bunn, Anthony Wier, and John P. Holdren, Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Project on Managing the Atom, Harvard University, March 2003. The report estimates that $50 million per year for "several years" would restructure and expedite the "global cleanout" program, removing the dangerous nuclear materials from sensitive sites worldwide. Funding this for the next ten years would cost $500 million.ÂÂ
$24 billion to add two divisions to the Army: "Six Steps to a Safer America," by Lawrence Korb, Center for American Progress, January 29, 2004. The report estimates the cost of adding two divisions at $4.8 billion per year ($1.2 billion for additional 10,000 troops).ÂÂ
$15.5 billion to double the number of active-duty troops in the Special Operations Forces: "U.S. Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service, August 15, 2003. The report notes that there is a total of roughly 47,000 SOF units, in addition to the FY03 request for 2,653. The FY03 request for SOF was $6.7 billion.
$11 billion to buy Afghanistan's opium crop: "Afghanistan, the other war," Houston Chronicle, June 20, 2004. The report notes that in 2003, Afghan drug farmers and traffickers earned a profit of $2.3 billion.
$10 billion to protect commercial airplanes from shoulder-fired missiles. "Missile Defenses for U.S. Airliners Are Within Reach, Contractors Insist," Caitlin Harrington, Congressional Quarterly, November 13, 2003.  According to Representative John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee, equipping every plane in the U.S. commercial fleet with missile defense systems could cost between $6 billion and $10 billion.ÂÂ
$10 billion to dramatically increase U.S. development assistance to the neediest countries.  "Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S. Programs and Policy," Congressional Research Service, April 15, 2004. According to the report, out of a total of $19.27 billion in FY04 foreign aid, $5.44 billion went to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. Foreign military funding made up 23.2% of the budget.  ÂÂ
$8.6 billion to rebuild Afghanistan: "Building a New Afghanistan: The Value of Success, the Cost of Failure," Center on International Cooperation, March 2004. The report notes that $7 billion had been pledged, before the March-April 2004 Berlin conference, and $2.9 had been disbursed. The report can be found at: //www.cic.nyu.edu/pdf/Building.pdf. "Miles to go in Afghanistan," Center for Strategic and International Studies, April 2004. At the Berlin conference from March 31-April 1, 2004, Aghan president Hamid Karzai requested $27.6 billion over the next seven years to cover the cost of essential reconstruction in Afghanistan. This report also states that an additional $12 billion was pledged by the international community. The report can be found at: //csis.org/isp/pcr/0404_milestogo.pdf.
$7.5 billion to safeguard our ports: "New Security Efforts Lagging at Some Ports," Los Angeles Times, June 30, 2004. According to the article, "the Coast Guard put the total cost for implementing the regulations laid out by Congress in the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act at $7.5 billion over 10 years."
$7 billion to put 100,000 police officers on the nation's streets: "The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program: An Overview," Congressional Research Service, April 6, 2003. President Clinton initiated the COPS program and funded it at $1.4 billion per year from 1996 to 1999.ÂÂ
$5 billion to purchase state-of-the-art baggage screening machines.  "Airport meets plans for bomb screening," The Manchester Union Leader, July 23, 2004.  The cost for installing integrated systems into the nation's airports is estimated at $5 billion.  The Bush administration is requesting only $250 million this year for the equipment.
$4 billion to expedite modernization of the Coast Guard.  "Coast Guard Fleet Upgrades Need Big Cash Anchor, Senators Tell White House," Jeremy Torobin, Congressional Quarterly, November 14, 2003.
$3 billion to secure major roads and rails: Winning the War on Terror, House Select Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Staff, April 23, 2004, page 38. The report concludes that providing a baseline of passenger security to the nation's top 50 metropolitan areas would cost $2 billion. The report can be found at: //www.house.gov/hsc/democrats/pdf/press/report2/
WinningtheWaronTerror.pdf.ÂÂ
$2.5 billion to increase funding for fire departments.   "Fire Grant Reauthorization would triple funding for big-city departments," Congressional Quarterly, May 13, 2004. President Bush requested $500 million in FY05 for the program, a drop from the $750 million in FY04.
$2.25 billion to expedite the work of the Nunn-Lugar Threat Reduction program. According to Public Law 108-87, the FY04 Defense budget, provides $450 million requested for the Nunn-Lugar threat reduction program.    ÂÂ
$2 billion to improve cargo security: "Testimony of Michael O'Hanlon before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee," March 20, 2003. According to O'Hanlon, an additional $1 billion to $2 billion is needed for inspecting cargo in the United States. His testimony can be found at: //www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/032003ohanlon.htm.
$775 million for fighting the war of ideas. Winning the War on Terror, House Select Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Staff, April 23, 2004, pages 25 and 55. Estimates tripling the budget for NED to cost $80 million and cites the current budget for public diplomacy toward the Arab and Muslim world at $25 billion a year.ÂÂ
$350 million for integrating emergency radio systems nationwide. "Price Tag for Emergency Radio Integration is $350 million, Says a Raytheon Chief," Alice Lipowicz, Congressional Quarterly, April 20, 2004.ÂÂ
$240 million to equip airports with walk-through explosive detectors. "9/11 Panel Urges Firmer Security Grip," Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2004.
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09/11/2004 12:37:36 PM · #153 |
Originally posted by RonB:
Originally posted by Olyuzi:
***Bush was a certified combat-ready pilot and did not serve in VietNam?! You don't find that curious at the least, and don't suspect that he was AWOL? |
From a History of the Texas National Guard:
"During the Vietnam War the federal government did not call up many army or air national guard units. No Texas Air Guard units were mobilized, although the air guard mobilized 9,343 nationwide. Only one small Texas Army Guard unit with 124 members received the federal call. This unit was a portion of the 12,234 army guardsmen who were mobilized in May 1968."
Since NO Texas ANG units were mobilized for deployment to Vietnam, I see no reason to question why BUSH, or any OTHER pilot from his unit, didn't go. |
He-he.
Of course they didn't go - they were never EXPECTED to go, that is why they were known as the "Champagne" unit. And that, of course, is exactly why the little coward Bush got his powerful Daddy to pull strings and get him into that unit.
And, BTW, when he had the opportunity to request classification to a status were he WOULD have been available for action, he checked the box to DENY that option - and at the earliest possible date.
This "if I was called, I would have gone" stuff is complete horsesh1t to anyone who has paid the least bit of attention to this issue.
And there is the rub. For not only was Bush a moral coward, an AWOL and a deserter. But more importantly - he continues to lie about this whole issue. Again and again.
Someone should remind the Republicans how much of an issue they made about HONESTY and CHARACTER last election. Surely they are not big, fat, blazing hypocrites now? |
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09/23/2004 10:58:38 PM · #154 |
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09/23/2004 11:25:57 PM · #155 |
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09/23/2004 11:58:29 PM · #156 |
Did you here Kerry speak today??? OMG...he is really pushing the most radical left wing agenda he can (last gasp?)
At any rate, he will piss off more of the semi Conservitive Democrats...and shoot himself in the foot.
I just dont think its a good agenda by his team to go further left....they already have that vote.
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09/24/2004 12:18:57 AM · #157 |
Originally posted by Riggs:
Did you here Kerry speak today??? OMG...he is really pushing the most radical left wing agenda he can (last gasp?)
At any rate, he will piss off more of the semi Conservitive Democrats...and shoot himself in the foot.
I just dont think its a good agenda by his team to go further left....they already have that vote. |
Ya he has finally stopped trying to be like Bush. Bout time he started getting hardcore about Iraq and all Bush's constant skrewups.
Despite Bush Flip-Flops, Kerry Gets Label
Message edited by author 2004-09-24 00:19:56. |
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09/24/2004 12:24:53 AM · #158 |
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09/24/2004 11:25:14 AM · #159 |
Originally posted by ericlimon:
he Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War
August 25, 2004
The Iraq war continues to be a drain on the American taxpayers' pocketbooks. So far, the war has cost the United States $144.4 billion, including $25 billion in the administration's FY05 defense budget signed into law earlier this month. An additional $60 billion is expected in a supplemental request after the November elections. According to the Defense Department, the cost of containing Saddam Hussein over 12 years was only $30 billion. ÂÂ
While no one disputes the evil and oppressive nature of Saddam Hussein's regime, as the 9/11 Commission made clear in its final report, Iraq was not involved in the planning or execution of the September 11 attacks and did not have a "collaborative operational relationship," according to its final report. The September 11 attacks necessitated an increase in homeland security funding – the administration's request for the coming fiscal year is $47.5 billion. However, according to the Center for American Progress, many homeland security priorities are presently under-funded or unfunded – port security, airline cargo screening and community policing programs.
More could be done to better secure or eliminate nuclear weapons, material and technology to prevent terrorists from developing and exploding nuclear or dirty bombs. While progress is being made in Afghanistan, increased aid faster will give democracy its best chance of taking hold and help eliminate the flourishing drug trade in Afghanistan that funds global terrorist activities. Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll on our troops. A larger Army and more special operations forces would take some of the current strain off the National Guard and reserves and improve the military's ability to eliminate actual terrorist safe havens in the future. These are just a few proposals that would have represented a better investment in America's security than the $144.4 billion Iraq "war of choice."
The question lingers: Could the $144.4 billion spent on Iraq been better used to protect the American people from terrorist threats? The Center for American Progress offers this answer. ÂÂ
* $7.5 billion to safeguard our ports. The Coast Guard estimates that $7.5 billion is needed over 10 years to implement the requirements of the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act, which aims to protect America's ports and waterways from a terrorist attack. Since 9/11, the federal government has allocated less than $500 million to counter this threat.
* $4 billion to expedite upgrading the Coast Guard fleet. This investment over the next five years would cut in half the 20-year timetable for replacing and upgrading the Coast Guard's fleet of cutters, patrol aircraft, and communications equipment.
* $2 billion to improve cargo security. This would help cover costs associated with the Cargo Security Initiative, which deploys customs inspectors to ports around the world to screen cargo before it goes to the United States.
______________________
* $10 billion to protect all U.S. commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles. These systems, based on existing military technology, would help reduce the danger from the estimated 100,000 shoulder-fired missiles circulating in the world's black markets.ÂÂ
* $5 billion to purchase state-of-the-art baggage screening machines. This would fulfill the Congressional mandate to install in all commercial airports new systems that integrate baggage screening and baggage handling. Only eight of the nation's 440 airports have the new machines, and the administration has requested only $250 million for equipment this year.
* $240 million to equip the airports with walk-through explosive detectors. According to the 9/11 commission, it's still too easy for passengers with hidden explosives to make it through airport security.
______________________
* $7 billion to put 100,000 police officers the nation's streets. $7 billion would fully fund for five years the 1996 Community Oriented Policing Services program, which was designed to put 100,000 new community police officers on America's streets. The administration has cut the funding for the program to $97 million in the proposed FY05 budget.
* $2.5 billion to increase funding for fire departments. This would double the size of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for each of the next five years. President Bush requested only $500 million for FY05, a drop from $750 million in FY04. Money from the program goes for trucks, protective clothing, hoses, and other equipment.
* $350 million for integrating emergency radio systems nationwide. Equipment to patch together existing police, fire, and other public safety radio systems throughout the country would cost $350 million.
* $3 billion to secure major roads and rails. $3 billion would secure all the major roads and railways in the nation's largest metropolitan areas. Improving surveillance, training railway workers, and developing new explosive detection equipment would increase passenger safety. The administration has focused its funding on aviation security, but has provided less than $200 million in last year's budget.
______________________
* $30.5 billion to secure from theft the world's nuclear weapons-grade material. Securing the world's fissile material would enormously reduce the chance that lethal weapons-grade material could be made into nuclear and radiological weapons. A 10-year $30 billion program would ensure material security and weapon dismantlement in the former Soviet Union. Another $500 million would fund a "global cleanout program," aimed at removing dangerous nuclear materials from the most vulnerable nuclear sites worldwide.
* $2.25 billion to expedite the work of the Nunn-Lugar Threat Reduction program. Doubling this program's budget each year for the next five years would accelerate Nunn-Lugar, which has helped deactivate over 6,000 nuclear warheads in the former Soviet Union and the United States. The FY04 Defense budget provided only $450 million for the program.ÂÂ
______________________
* $24 billion to add two divisions to the Army. With commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army is increasingly stretched thin. Two additional divisions could be added to the Army over the next five years at a cost of $4.8 billion a year. A larger army would help take the pressure off America's overtapped National Guardsmen and Reservists.
* $15.5 billion to double the number of active-duty troops in the Special Operations Forces. The United States has roughly 25,000 Special Operations Forces. These elite military fighting units played a critical role in Afghanistan and continue to be highly effective in tracking down terrorists. Doubling the 25,000 troops in the Special Operations Forces would cost $7 billion and an additional $8.5 billion would help maintain the new forces over the next five years.ÂÂ
______________________
* $8.6 billion to rebuild Afghanistan. The government of Afghanistan has said it needs $27.6 billion for reconstruction activities over the next seven years such as rebuilding infrastructure, education, health, and disarmament programs. The country has received to date only $2.9 billion of the $19 billion pledged by the international community. $8.6 billion over the next seven years would make up this shortfall and help Afghanistan from reverting to a haven for terrorists.
* $11 billion to buy Afghanistan's opium crop. Afghanistan's illicit opium drug trade brings in a profit of $2.3 billion each year, much of which goes to fund terrorist activities. A five-year program to buy Afghanistan's opium crop would provide initial and continuing funding for farmers to permanently shift from growing opium to cultivating other crops or starting microenterprises.
______________________
* $10 billion to increase U.S. development assistance to the neediest countries. The current foreign assistance budget is $19.27 billion, including foreign military funding and the State Department's operating budget. $13.8 billion goes to countries other than Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. Increasing the non-military development assistance budget by $10 billion over the next five years to countries other than Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan, would help improve economic opportunities, health care, and education worldwide.
* $775 million to dramatically increase public diplomacy. $775 million would quadruple America's public diplomacy efforts in the Arab and Muslim world, as well as triple funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, each year for the next five years. The United States could use this funding to build bridges in Arab and Muslim communities and nations.
Michael Pan, P.J. Crowley, Amanda Terkel, and Robert O. Boorstin all contributed to this report.
************************
Sources:ÂÂ
$144.4 billion for the Iraq War: "Iraq Costs At $119.4 Billion -- And Rising," Miami Herald, June 2, 2004. In addition, the Administration signed into law an additional $25 billion for Iraq in the FY05 Defense budget.ÂÂ
$2.5 billion per year to contain Saddam Hussein: "Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz Interview with England Cable News," March 23, 2003. Wolfowitz stated that it cost the United States roughly $30 billion for twelve years to contain Saddam Hussein before the Iraq War.
$30.5 billion to secure from theft the world's nuclear weapons-grade material: "A Report Card on the Department of Energy's Nonproliferation Programs With Russia," Baker-Cutler Commission, January 10, 2001, Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, U.S. Department of Energy. The Commission estimates $3 billion per year for the next ten years for fissile material security and disposition in Russian and the NIS. "Controlling Nuclear Warheads and Materials: A Report Card and Action Plan," Matthew Bunn, Anthony Wier, and John P. Holdren, Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Project on Managing the Atom, Harvard University, March 2003. The report estimates that $50 million per year for "several years" would restructure and expedite the "global cleanout" program, removing the dangerous nuclear materials from sensitive sites worldwide. Funding this for the next ten years would cost $500 million.ÂÂ
$24 billion to add two divisions to the Army: "Six Steps to a Safer America," by Lawrence Korb, Center for American Progress, January 29, 2004. The report estimates the cost of adding two divisions at $4.8 billion per year ($1.2 billion for additional 10,000 troops).ÂÂ
$15.5 billion to double the number of active-duty troops in the Special Operations Forces: "U.S. Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service, August 15, 2003. The report notes that there is a total of roughly 47,000 SOF units, in addition to the FY03 request for 2,653. The FY03 request for SOF was $6.7 billion.
$11 billion to buy Afghanistan's opium crop: "Afghanistan, the other war," Houston Chronicle, June 20, 2004. The report notes that in 2003, Afghan drug farmers and traffickers earned a profit of $2.3 billion.
$10 billion to protect commercial airplanes from shoulder-fired missiles. "Missile Defenses for U.S. Airliners Are Within Reach, Contractors Insist," Caitlin Harrington, Congressional Quarterly, November 13, 2003.  According to Representative John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee, equipping every plane in the U.S. commercial fleet with missile defense systems could cost between $6 billion and $10 billion.ÂÂ
$10 billion to dramatically increase U.S. development assistance to the neediest countries.  "Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S. Programs and Policy," Congressional Research Service, April 15, 2004. According to the report, out of a total of $19.27 billion in FY04 foreign aid, $5.44 billion went to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. Foreign military funding made up 23.2% of the budget.  ÂÂ
$8.6 billion to rebuild Afghanistan: "Building a New Afghanistan: The Value of Success, the Cost of Failure," Center on International Cooperation, March 2004. The report notes that $7 billion had been pledged, before the March-April 2004 Berlin conference, and $2.9 had been disbursed. The report can be found at: //www.cic.nyu.edu/pdf/Building.pdf. "Miles to go in Afghanistan," Center for Strategic and International Studies, April 2004. At the Berlin conference from March 31-April 1, 2004, Aghan president Hamid Karzai requested $27.6 billion over the next seven years to cover the cost of essential reconstruction in Afghanistan. This report also states that an additional $12 billion was pledged by the international community. The report can be found at: //csis.org/isp/pcr/0404_milestogo.pdf.
$7.5 billion to safeguard our ports: "New Security Efforts Lagging at Some Ports," Los Angeles Times, June 30, 2004. According to the article, "the Coast Guard put the total cost for implementing the regulations laid out by Congress in the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act at $7.5 billion over 10 years."
$7 billion to put 100,000 police officers on the nation's streets: "The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program: An Overview," Congressional Research Service, April 6, 2003. President Clinton initiated the COPS program and funded it at $1.4 billion per year from 1996 to 1999.ÂÂ
$5 billion to purchase state-of-the-art baggage screening machines.  "Airport meets plans for bomb screening," The Manchester Union Leader, July 23, 2004.  The cost for installing integrated systems into the nation's airports is estimated at $5 billion.  The Bush administration is requesting only $250 million this year for the equipment.
$4 billion to expedite modernization of the Coast Guard.  "Coast Guard Fleet Upgrades Need Big Cash Anchor, Senators Tell White House," Jeremy Torobin, Congressional Quarterly, November 14, 2003.
$3 billion to secure major roads and rails: Winning the War on Terror, House Select Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Staff, April 23, 2004, page 38. The report concludes that providing a baseline of passenger security to the nation's top 50 metropolitan areas would cost $2 billion. The report can be found at: //www.house.gov/hsc/democrats/pdf/press/report2/
WinningtheWaronTerror.pdf.ÂÂ
$2.5 billion to increase funding for fire departments.   "Fire Grant Reauthorization would triple funding for big-city departments," Congressional Quarterly, May 13, 2004. President Bush requested $500 million in FY05 for the program, a drop from the $750 million in FY04.
$2.25 billion to expedite the work of the Nunn-Lugar Threat Reduction program. According to Public Law 108-87, the FY04 Defense budget, provides $450 million requested for the Nunn-Lugar threat reduction program.    ÂÂ
$2 billion to improve cargo security: "Testimony of Michael O'Hanlon before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee," March 20, 2003. According to O'Hanlon, an additional $1 billion to $2 billion is needed for inspecting cargo in the United States. His testimony can be found at: //www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/032003ohanlon.htm.
$775 million for fighting the war of ideas. Winning the War on Terror, House Select Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Staff, April 23, 2004, pages 25 and 55. Estimates tripling the budget for NED to cost $80 million and cites the current budget for public diplomacy toward the Arab and Muslim world at $25 billion a year.ÂÂ
$350 million for integrating emergency radio systems nationwide. "Price Tag for Emergency Radio Integration is $350 million, Says a Raytheon Chief," Alice Lipowicz, Congressional Quarterly, April 20, 2004.ÂÂ
$240 million to equip airports with walk-through explosive detectors. "9/11 Panel Urges Firmer Security Grip," Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2004. |
That is a very cogent and meaningful article, indeed! Thanks for posting it. |
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09/24/2004 11:43:26 AM · #160 |
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09/24/2004 01:01:37 PM · #161 |
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09/24/2004 02:49:37 PM · #162 |
"I know you are, but what am I?" The democratic campaign is starting to sound like an episode of Pee Wee Herman. |
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09/24/2004 03:01:07 PM · #163 |
Originally posted by louddog:
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09/24/2004 03:44:21 PM · #164 |
Originally posted by MadMordegon:
Originally posted by Riggs:
Did you here Kerry speak today??? OMG...he is really pushing the most radical left wing agenda he can (last gasp?)
At any rate, he will piss off more of the semi Conservitive Democrats...and shoot himself in the foot.
I just dont think its a good agenda by his team to go further left....they already have that vote. |
Ya he has finally stopped trying to be like Bush. Bout time he started getting hardcore about Iraq and all Bush's constant skrewups.
Despite Bush Flip-Flops, Kerry Gets Label |
Maybe Kerry's stopped trying to be like Bush (thought I have my doubts), but his handlers certainly aren't.
- Conservatives raise questions (based on evidence) about democratic connections to the forged CBS memos, and yesterday the democrats respond with "the republicans are behind it".
- Conservatives denounce Kerry's reckless harangues about how horrible the situation is in Iraq by argueing that this encourages the terrorists, and the democrats try to counter ("I know you are, but what am I?") by claiming that an add which points out Kerry's constant flip-flopping on the war (illustrated by his windsurfing) is somehow encouraging our enemies. Huh???
- Dennis Hassert states his belief that the terrorists would prefer a Kerry victory over a Bush victory, and I hear Alan Combes with some yahoo on claiming that they want a Bush victory.
C'mon guys, get your own talking points! |
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09/24/2004 03:45:41 PM · #165 |
| Heard a great line on Michael Medved yesterday about how, with regards to the war, John Kerry has more possitions than the Kamma Sutra. :) |
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09/24/2004 03:53:37 PM · #166 |
Originally posted by ScottK:
Heard a great line on Michael Medved yesterday about how, with regards to the war, John Kerry has more possitions than the Kamma Sutra. :) |
Thats funny..
Now read the above article and 1st post in this thread. Bush does it just as much or more, he just has better PR people and Karl Rove. |
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09/24/2004 04:06:19 PM · #167 |
Originally posted by MadMordegon:
Originally posted by ScottK:
Heard a great line on Michael Medved yesterday about how, with regards to the war, John Kerry has more possitions than the Kamma Sutra. :) |
Thats funny..
Now read the above article and 1st post in this thread. Bush does it just as much or more, he just has better PR people and Karl Rove. |
The OutOfTruth.org article? Maybe at some point, if I've got nothing else to do and I need a good laugh. As far as the points at the top of the thread, they've already been debunked for the most part. |
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09/24/2004 04:08:22 PM · #168 |
Originally posted by ericlimon:
Originally posted by louddog:
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09/24/2004 04:47:23 PM · #169 |
Originally posted by louddog:
Originally posted by ericlimon:
Originally posted by louddog:
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09/24/2004 05:00:06 PM · #170 |
Scott, that "outoftruth" article is a Washington Post article which I posted from Truthout.org because it requires a login to view the Post article and most people are too lazy for a free sign up.
Message edited by author 2004-09-24 17:20:11. |
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09/24/2004 05:13:41 PM · #171 |
Originally posted by ericlimon:
Originally posted by louddog:
Originally posted by ericlimon:
Originally posted by louddog:
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09/24/2004 05:45:58 PM · #172 |
Originally posted by bdobe:
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hahahahahahahahaha |
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09/24/2004 07:50:01 PM · #173 |
Not only a flip flopper, but a liar too, nice.
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09/24/2004 08:22:51 PM · #174 |
Originally posted by MadMordegon:
Not only a flip flopper, but a liar too, nice. |
Kerry was for the War ! He voted for it !
Typical political BS, on both sides.
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09/24/2004 08:32:23 PM · #175 |
When Kerry voted in 2002 to give Bush the authority to use force if necessary, he said on the Senate floor:
"In giving the President this authority, I expect him to fulfill the commitments he has made to the American people in recent days.
To work with the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new resolution setting out tough and immediate inspection requirements, and to act with our allies at our side if we have to disarm Saddam Hussein by force.
If he fails to do so, I will be among the first to speak out."
And that's what happened. Bush failed to let the inspectors do their job and failed to rally allies to our side. Even worse, he misled the country about the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
So while Kerry is pleased that Saddam is out of power, he would have handled the situation differently. He wouldn't have rushed to war, and he would have had a plan to win the peace. And we wouldn't be in the mess we're in.
Here's UPI article with other statements by various Democrats:
//www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20021009-063944-8241r
And, as he's done before, Mr. Kerry again outlined his Iraq strategy, see here:
//www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0924.html
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Originally posted by Riggs:
Originally posted by MadMordegon:
Not only a flip flopper, but a liar too, nice. |
Kerry was for the War ! He voted for it !
Typical political BS, on both sides. |
Message edited by author 2004-09-24 21:12:29.
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