Got dollars?

If you want to give yourself a real thrill, take a tiny peek at the economic prospects of the United States as viewed by the top accountant at the Government Accountability Office.

Economic disaster

Quoting from the article: "The vast majority of economists and budget analysts agree: The ship of state is on a disastrous course, and will founder on the reefs of economic disaster if nothing is done to correct it."


Excerpt 2: "Washington tends to keep its fiscal house in better order when one party controls Congress and the other is in the White House."

Continuing on the economic theme, this article from the Guardian written January 2006:

Real cost of the war in Iraq

Quoting from the article: "The unforeseen costs of the war have been blamed on poor planning and vision by the architects of the invasion. In a frank admission yesterday, Paul Bremer, the first US administrator of postwar Iraq, said the Americans did not anticipate the uprising that has persisted since flaring in 2004. "We really didn't see the insurgency coming," he told NBC television."

In other words, the insurgency was not expected by the Bush Administration. Consequently the cost of fighting the insurgency was not even considered. Are we really supposed to believe that the Bush Administration actually operated from the assumption that the war would be over as soon as they reached Baghdad? Yeow. I used to think the neo-cons were extreme but to be this out of touch, its amazing.

Excerpt 2: "But in terms of the total cost of the war "there may have been alternative ways of spending a fraction of that amount that would have enhanced America's security more, and done a better job in winning the hearts and minds of those in the Middle East and promoting democracy"."

Let's state the obvious. The Republicans are supposedly big on security. So they invade Iraq, don't plan for an insurgency, the cost of the war goes off the charts, and a fraction of the money used in that effort could have provided more security for US citizens. Yet these same people are running the show and still have the support of 33% of the people.

Finally this article from the BBC:

Global warming could cut the world's economic output by 20%

What is interesting about this particular article is that it approaches global warming from the point of view of economic effects, not environmental effects. Perhaps this is the type of article to present to your Republican friend who continues to poo poo global warming.

Artwork - Saint Sebastian anonymous 15th century German