July 11, 2007: The war on
terror has cost $610 billion so far. Current operations in Afghanistan are
costing $2 billion, and in Iraq $10
billion, a month. Much of the high cost goes for replacing worn out equipment.
The hot and dusty conditions in both Iraq and Afghanistan, are hard on
everything, both people and machines. New equipment is constantly being sent
in, to deal with roadside bombs and to improve intelligence gathering and
communications.
Unlike the Vietnam war,
which cost $650 billion (adjusted for inflation), the much larger American
economy allows for the war on terror to be paid for without disrupting the
economy. Current American defense spending is under five percent of GDP. During
the peak years of the Vietnam war, defense spending was 14 percent of GDP.
During the peak year of World War II, defense spending consumed half of GDP.
