WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS MILITARY EXPENDITURES

A SHORT HISTORY OF MILITARY SPENDING (cont.)

In 1984, a program for the development of a new fleet of long-range strategic bombers at a further projected cost of Fourteen Billion Dollars (over Thirty Billion in 2011 Dollars) was launched in the United States.  Our deficit had by now risen from $78.9 Billion to $221 Billion ($477 Billion), making us the greatest debtor nation in the history of mankind.  It has been described as the purchase of "artificial [or unusable] strength at the expense of real strength--the viability and integrity of the American economic system."  (David Halbersatam, The Next Century) 

Another costly military affair during this period was the long war between Iran and Iraq, which had consumed over Four Hundred Billion ($836 Billion) Dollars in the funds of those nations by 1985.

Moreover, by this time, total world military expenditures had increased to almost a full Trillion
(over Two Trillion) Dollars.  Half of this was attributable to the United States and the Soviet Union, the undisputed world champions of military extravagance.

It continued into the late 1980s.  Our "Stealth" project was launched in 1988.  It consisted of the acquisition of 132 bombers having an "averaged" cost of close to Three hundred Million Dollars ($570 Million) each.  The total Bill for this endeavor was therefore projected to amount to approximately Thirty Six Billion ($68 Billion) Dollars.

In 1989, issues began to arise concerning cleanup of nuclear waste that our activities thus far had created.  It was estimated that the cost of such a cleanup would amount to $92 Billion ($166 Billion) or so.

1991  saw the United States and a few of its allies' entry into the first Gulf War.  Short though it was, it required an expenditure of over Sixty Billion ($99 Billion) Dollars for the military effort; and total eventual cost to both sides and the surrounding region in the sum of $676 Billion ($1,115 Billion).

On Christmas Day in 1991, Russia's Mikhail Gorbachev declared personal jpoy at the fact that the Cold War, and the consequent arms race which had crippled his nation's economy, was over.

Nevertheless, by 1995, it was estimated that global military spending since World War II had reached the fantastic total sum of Thirty to Thirty five Trillion ($44 to 51 Trillion) Dollars)!

The coming of the Twenty first century has brought no relief. Consider, for example, the fact that our participation in the second Iraq War has thus far cost the United States well over a Trillion Dollars.  And there are estimates out there warning that the eventual price tag--when you count our efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, plus various postwar and other ancillary costs--might reach as high as Ten Trillion.  It is truly mind-boggling to imagine how much good could have been adccomplished for mankind and the world, had theae mammoth sums been applied toward poeaqceful and constructive purposes.

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