...at least that's what Joseph Stiglitz thinks in his new book. As a true economist should, Stigiliz takes total expenditures to-date and current appropriations and adds in a whole slew of difficult to quantify costs. (Read: difficult to quantify doesn't mean non-existent.)
In Stiglitz's mind, the true cost of the Iraq War is $3 trillion—and counting—rather than the $50 billion projected by the White House.
To get to such a high total cost, Stiglitz had to diligently work to calculate the following costs:
* Health-care costs for returning veterans;
* Restoration of military (both personnel and equipment) to prewar levels;
* Added costs, from returning soldiers, to Social Security and the G.I. Bill;
* Returning disabled veterans' effect on the economy (i.e. lost from workforce and loved ones leaving the workforce to care for said veterans);
* Government spending that has been diverted from domestic infrastructure and education;
* Higher oil prices due to war;
* And last, but not least, interest!
A 3 trillion dollar war? You be the judge.