This is an interesting article. Ivins goes off on a left-wing rant about how we should spend more on education and less on the military, but some of her numbers are eye-opening:
Just for starters, is there anyone -- anyone -- who thinks we need more than 1,000 nuclear warheads in order to have a credible nuclear deterrent at this time? By cutting back to 1,000, we can save $13 billion right there.$13,000,000,000 is a lot of money. If you stacked 13 billion dollar bills one on top of the other, you would get a stack 882 miles high,
Maybe it is time for the fiscally responsible members of our government to suggest some things like this... but don't hold your breath.
9 comments:
The moon is about 240,000 miles away (from Earth). I'm sure Bell Curve was suffering a mental hiccup just now.
// posted by LTG
Funny... I read Bell Curve's post and did not process the numbers. Good catch, LTG.
Ah, dang it. That's what I get for doing poor research. It's still a lot of money.
// posted by Bell Curve
I once read that American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 just by removing one olive from salads served in 1st class.
It only takes a few little things, you know.
// posted by USWest
According to this Oxfam website , the United States spends over $70 Billion on agriculture subsidies!
Hell, if we stopped spending all that cash, we could buy a bunch of schools, retrain or pension off the farm workers who would lose their jobs, and still have money left over to invade a small country or two of Bush's choice. And we'd immediately help world poverty too!
// posted by Raised By Republicans
Bell Curve. Don't feel bad. It's a blog, right? It would be nice to get the numbers right but no one is going to judge you too harshly. ;-)
// posted by Raised By Republicans
I just want to know what $40,000 worth of olives looks like.
// posted by LTG
LTG, I wish I could see it too. Think of the martinis that would make!
RBR, you need to blog on the fact that the US and the EU just blew a pretty good shot at cutting their respective Ag subsidities. We offered 60% cuts in ours. Damn French. I love 'em, but as their friend, I tell them that was stupid of them.
// posted by USWest
I've blogged about ag subsidies before and even drew fire from a friend of the Citizens in France. I'm planning a new entry about ag subsidies in general soon.
// posted by Raised By Republicans
Post a Comment