Why does Iraq cost so much???

I don't mind sending the soldiers to die, they signed up for it.
I don't mind killing the insurgents, we gave them the opportunity for peace.
I don't mind the long process of political reconciliation, these things take time.
I don't mind that the Republicans are in the toilet, I vote for the Dems.

BUT, I DO mind spending $200,000,000,000 every year on this war.  WTF!  Are we using gold bullets?  Do the GIs eat lobster everday and shit on silver toilets.  Why can't we do that for a fraction of the cost?  I'm thinking 40 billion a year, tops!

>>9  

try again faggot.  the budget for the defense department alone (not the wars) is over $500 billion a year.  the wars add another $200 billion a year. 

all other discretionary spending (FBI, welfare, EPA, CIA, NOAA, FAA, FDA, FEMA, Dept. Agriculture, etc) adds up to only about $450 billion. 

the war and the military form the HUGE part of discretionary spending.  we could still be militarily dominant and achieve financial solvency if we cut the pentagon budget in half and GTFO of iraq.  but then again, the military is kinda like welfare for all those high school dropouts who have nowhere else to go.  God forbid we create some kind of educational system for them.