Seven days later:

Bush's budget is announced on Monday, February 7. Now, seven days later, we read: Bush Requests $81.9B for Iraq, Afghan Wars. Why this could not have been included in the original budget is hard to figure. It's all very mysterious. For instance:

The $2.57 trillion budget Bush sent Congress last week projected a record $427 billion deficit this year and $390 billion in red ink in 2006. While it included Bush's latest request, the budget omitted any new war funds next year, which are considered certain to be needed.

So the projected deficit included the latest request, but now we're reading about a supplemental which wasn't included in, what, the initial budget. Confusing.

In any event, we're getting a new round number:

Approval would push the total spent in Iraq and Afghanistan and other efforts against terrorism beyond $300 billion, including the costs of fighting and reconstruction. It stood at about $228 billion before Bush's latest request, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which writes reports for Congress.

$300 billion. US population: 293,027,571 (Jul 2004 est). Comes to $1000 per person. (Even more on a household basis.)

posted by Quiddity at 2/15/2005 04:31:00 AM