War on Terrorism the most costly of any military engagement in U.S. history

More than a trillion dollars has been appropriated since September 11, 2001 for U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. This makes the “war on terrorism” the most costly of any military engagement in U.S. history in absolute terms or, if correcting for inflation, the second most expensive U.S. military action after World War II.

A newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service estimated the financial costs of major U.S. wars from the American Revolution ($2.4 billion in FY 2011 dollars) to World War I ($334 billion) to World War II ($4.1 trillion) to the second Iraq war ($784 billion) and the war in Afghanistan ($321 billion). CRS provided its estimates in current year dollars (i.e. the year they were spent) and in constant year dollars (adjusted for inflation), and as a percentage of gross domestic product. Many caveats apply to these figures, which are spelled out in the CRS report.

In constant dollars, World War II is still the most expensive of all U.S. wars, having consumed a massive 35.8% of GDP at its height and having cost $4.1 trillion in FY2011 dollars. See 'Cost of Major US Wars' (pdf) June 29, 2010. - www.fas.org...

Quite surprising just how costly this war has been, and that's without even counting the cost of human life.

Also, considering this 'war on terror' seems to have no end in sight who knows what the total figure it likely to be. All I know is that even if it ended tomorrow - it has cost too much!

I agree that the GWOT has been a farce and an overly expensive one. So why the lie contained in the headline when you yourself admit is hasn't cost as much as WW2?

reply to post by Asktheanimals

This makes the “war on terrorism” the most costly of any military engagement in U.S. history in absolute terms...

Just using what the source stated, although I don't understand what it means by 'absolute terms', maybe you could enlighten me?

Originally posted by LiveForever8
reply to post by Asktheanimals

 

This makes the “war on terrorism” the most costly of any military engagement in U.S. history in absolute terms...

Just using what the source stated, although I don't understand what it means by 'absolute terms', maybe you could enlighten me?

Why quibble about two words, when the OP' message is that BILLIONS have been spent on the war on terror, AND, there are thousands or millions on food stamps.

Can we keep our eye on the ball here....

I disagree with you, sorry.

My reason for disagreeing with you is not because I doubt your data but because the war on terrorism is not a real war is it’s a umbrella term for the wars and operations you have listed. Yes collectively since 9/11 defence and intelligence budgets have increased at a colossal rate, just read the Washington Post. However the second Gulf war and the war in Afghanistan should not be looked as being two of the same wars because they are not (the objectives were very different). In a similar way covert operations in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan should not all be viewed as the same operations but as unique operations. Yes the end objective for allot of these operations is the same, combat terrorism, however they are all very different. If we were to add up the entire costs of the US domestic and foreign defence spending during the cold war I would guess it would cost just as much if not more.

That is in fact one of the many problems i have with the war on terror. Each of these wars, operations and domestic defence infrastructures should be looked at as being separate in every way otherwise it’s just way to big. The cost’s should be the same for example we should look if we look at the cost effectiveness of the entire war on terror that could be difficult because its so big and not a real war. If however we look at the cost effectiveness of the second gulf war that is easier to gauge. So basically i don’t think that it’s fair to group them all together and say look how much this has cost, you might disagree and your entitled to do so.

EDIT: I would also hold GDP as a % spend on the war in higher regard than the total amount spent as that takes into account the spending power of the state coupled with the cost of the war.




[edit on 20-7-2010 by kevinunknown]

Buddy, you've been barking up the wrong tree and finding the wrong conclusions that TPTB had laid out neatly for you to find to cover up the tracks.

The money spent had NEVER been about war with terrorists. Wake up!!

It had been a fund to wage war on YOU!

And nothing like making you pay for it. How TPTB must be laffing off their asses now.

Your FREEDOM is what that is hindering the creation of One World Order. Your constitution is an anethema to TOTALITARIANISM. Your guns are the Powers that will stop DICTATORSHIP in its tracks.

Their greatest joy and unbelievable luck was for the Homeland Security Act to be passed into law, signed by the moron Bush Jr, and accepted by everyone when they were in a climate of fear. Now virtually overnight,

YOU can become a terrorists if the authorities, be it the State Department or your local Sheriff deputy deems you one, and ransacks your home in search of evidence, even if you had been a true blue blooded American for centuries and with no aspirations to political office, but only to excercise your freedom of speech and rights granted to you by the sacred Constitution.

Each year, a bit of your freedoms are denied, in the name of state security. Bit by bit, you don't realise it, and simply like a live frog in a pot of hot soup attempting to 'adapt' to the situation, pacified, and do not feel the need to stand up as it doesnt seem to affect you now, you will be cooked.

The longer the war is made to be believed, the better they will be to curtail freedoms in the name of national security. Time to wake up folks. It's been 10 long years of living the puppet Bush's legacy....



Edited to add: In the event if any thinks that I do not support the current form of war on terrorism and that it had been used for something else more sinister, here are my reasonings:-

911 was real. Terrorists are real. There are radicals from all social tripes that exists. And there is a need to eradicate them.

BUT to stop terrorism and its forms is not with bullets and guns. How can you slay the demons of a perception, an idea with bullets? Bullets cannot penetrate ideas. It only penetrates flesh, but ideas are immortal perceptions, that are held by many. One drops down, another picks it up, if not today, will do so again when the bullets are withdrawn.

No. The real battle against terrorism is not the sacrifice of our precious young on both sides to enrich the corporations. The real battle is in the mind, for one can only kill an idea/perception with another better idea/perception.

But then, we had a hollywood John Wayne wannabe moron to lead the world after 911. Still, it was an opportunity not to be missed by the intelligent masters to make use of the climate of fear to push their NWO agenda finally, and the rest is our tattered and torn history...



[edit on 20-7-2010 by SeekerofTruth101]