So,
Bush asks for another $80 billion today for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On a whim, I thought I'd see how this compares to the economies of several of the countries hardest hit by the tsunami last month. More in the extended entry...
2004 Gross Domestic Products (GDP) From the
CIA Factbook:
- Sri Lanka: $73.7 billion, population 19.9 million
- Thailand: $477.5 billion, population 64.8 million
- Indonesia: $758.8 billion, population 238.5 million
OK, so what does this mean (realizing GDP is a somewhat dicey measure)?
- We (the US govt., anyway) will spend more this year to create mayhem than the entire economic activity of the 20 million people of Sri Lanka. No matter how you slice it, most of that $80 billion will be gone after a year, dissipated into dead bodies, ruined cities, and simply sitting and waiting, in contrast to much of the nearly $80 billion Sri Lankan economy.
- I don't know exactly how expensive rebuilding will be, but suppose these 3 countries need 1 part in 20 of their total GDP to rebuild over the next 12 months. In that case, the U.S. budget for Iraq and Afghanistan would cover that, with a few billion left in change.
- I forgot India :-) Seriously, even if I put in all the countries with significant damage, $80 billion goes a long way. It might be the equivalent of, perhaps, several months of rebuilding instead of a year plus change.
I've already contributed to the Red Cross, as I'm sure many of you here have. I only wish our government had even half a clue.