Cost of American Wars in adjusted 2007 dollar amounts...

[PAlexC]

Honestly... WWII was not necessary for US involvement if you were to listen to the average European now.

Japan was going to drag us into it one way or another. It doesn't matter if we 'knew' about Pearl Harbor or not, they were still going to attack.

[MagnusVS]

If the Nazis had gained control over Europe (we can't say for sure that it would have happened), I don't think that USA would benefit from that. If the axis had gained control over Europe and Asia, who knows what would be next?

[gerbick]

- I did'nt mean to you personally here. Its addressed generally here!

Then don't quote me and address me. Also, apologize for saying that rather stupid comment which you've yet to re-address.

- In simple words - Thats bragging my friend !

In simpler terms, you seriously need to practice reticence. You call it bragging while you sit comfortably on your ass doing nothing but spouting out what other people need to do.

You seriously are a waste of my time. Solve your own damn problems before ever addressing me ever again.

[gerbick]

Do you really mean that?

If an european is saying such stuff then they are just arrogant and as we know there are arrogant people the world over.

In my travels, I'd say that the average European under the age of 35 would almost say something as much, not so much in the same words, but as it stands the same statement could be easily culled from their rhetoric.

Do I agree or not... I simply don't care. I have family that actually died in that war, but they fought for what they believed in and I can respect that.

But yeah... I tend to see that in people now. Mind you, I'm generalizing, but it seems to be the prevalent truth. Honestly though, it doesn't really make a difference what we think. It's in the past, it happened, can't change the past.

[mandissected]

From a personal perspective, I don't feel we didn't need the US' help.

But I'm not too impressed with Hollywoods re-writing of events that usually shows the US as winning the war on their own. Then comes my generalization the American youth believe Hollywood and forget history.

[gerbick]

You represent what I run into a lot of times. It's ok, you're entitled. As I am entitled to wishing the US never intervened either.

[silverx2]

maybe he though you were gay as in happy. as marriage might make you sad?

[mandissected]

Gerbick, I apologise if you think I was attacking in my comment.

I'm not sure my first statement was clear enough. I do think we needed the US' help.

Me mentioning my generalization was more just pointing out how differently we see each other and how far from truth that view point is rather than having a go at you.

We seem largely stick to these generilizations that our own societies and cultures portray rather than talking to the other side. And if things like this are misunderstood between cultures like the UK and US that seem so similar how can most of us really believe we understand foriegn cultures?

The 'we' there was another generalization as you have already mentioned you have spoken to Europeans about this so you are obviously somebody who searches for the truth rather than goes along with society/culture.

As for me, I'm sadly somewhere in the middle of listening to society and trying to find the truths myself.

Sorry I think that may have been a bit heavy and was definitely badly written. I hope my point came across though.

[gerbick]

Naw, never thought you were having a go at me. I was honest when I stated that you're entitled your own opinion.

Mind you, in the last 20 years, I've seen where the idea of WWII being lorded over most European countries by ignorant US tourists would grate the nerves of even a person vying for sainthood. And despite my "brotherhood" with these tourists - I tend to shy away from them while on travel because they really don't represent me - I've seen a shift away from saying that WWII was necessary for our intervention to where even I'm starting to believe it.

Thus my statement. It's not that I wish people harm. It's just that I don't feel as if we had a right to be there either. Same for Afghanistan and Iraq. I'd rather not be there at all.

Either way, we're dealign with a truth that already exists and can't be changed. So having an opinion is about the only thing you and I have left.

And yours was not taken badly by me in the least.

[CVO Chris]

I think alot of people would people say the US's help was of no consequence in the current post-iraq climate. Many people are fickle with their opinions and change them based on currant political perspectives instead of basing them on historical evidence.

I can't say with any certainty that america's participation in the war was needed but it's hard to believe otherwise when you look at the development of the war in the history books.

Just the same with Britains help (enigma machine, British scientists help with the atom bomb) and other allies.

Some people are over sensitive. Don't let arrogant jackasses make you wish for an alternate reality. They are living in denial.

[random25]

I wonder what the "war on drugs" has cost.

[gerbick]

I wonder what the "war on drugs" has cost.

If you want to see money thrown at a problem to no good effect, you need look no further than America's "War on Drugs." The federal government will spend roughly $18.5 billion on drug-control policies this year, and over $19 billion in 2001; state and local governments annually pitch in another $22 billion or so. By comparison, the entire Justice Department will have a budget of about $21 billion this year.

So... from "Just say no" to now... I'd say tons.

[random25]

So... from "Just say no" to now... I'd say tons.

tons...
yea, that sounds about right.

[gerbick]

lol. Sorry, I've been searching for a number for a while myself. I find "estimates" but the war on drugs just crosses over so many agencies - federal and state/local - that it's insane.

[random25]

N/P, Tons is close enough for me, i wasn't looking for a real amount, i was just thinking out loud in here.
I would imagine $21 billion per year is probably a very close yearly average.

And i think the "just say no" started around 84, but i could be way off on that.

So around $21 billion per year for around 24 years....

[cancerinform]

So 3.2 trillion is that what World War II cost only the Americans or is that the total cost of war including the non-european war?

[FlashLackey]

Are you speaking of the same Saddam Hussein and Ba'ath Party that the US CIA funded, and put into power originally in Iraq?

Yes. That's why I wrote "helped." The US obviously made a mistake in supporting Saddam at any point. At least once it was clear that it was a mistake, they were trying to correct it. Had France, China, Russia and the UN co-operated with the sanctions and effort to correct that problem, we might have seen a more peaceful resolution.

[Besides, the irony is that the motivation for the US backing Saddam furthers the point I was making. It was another instance of the US spending dollars and effort trying to confront aggressive Soviet acts. It would have been better had some alternative to supporting Saddam been used. But, hindsight is always 20/20 and I don't see most of the other nations who stand to benefit from the cause pitching in much.]

[CVO Chris]

I would imagine $21 billion per year is probably a very close yearly average.

That is only money spent. If you imagine the money they would bring in if they legalised and taxed some drugs and add that amount to the $21 billion then you begin to see the real cost of the war on drugs. But that's another topic...

[cancerinform]

I don't know if you people have seen 60min the other day. An FBI agent whose mission was to get close to Saddam isolated in a dark prison found out there were no weapons of mass destruction, Saddam of course doesn't like Iran and doesn't like Osama and AlQuaida. Saddam also admitted to have gassed those people he was accused.

If the US had not touched Saddam even without supporting him they would have had an ally against what the US consider their enemies. It is clear this was an oil war and that is also the US interest in Iran. Expensive oil I can say and we all have to pay for this governments greediness with the war costs.

If you think about cost there is money but there is cost of life as well.

[TallGuyLittleCar]

Japan was going to drag us into it one way or another. It doesn't matter if we 'knew' about Pearl Harbor or not, they were still going to attack.

Japan was only going to drag us into world war 2 because we were already fighting for control of the pacific up to and including blockades.