America in 2017

This afternoon I read an AP report that referenced a study by two IVY League economists (one of which wrote a book I read in grad school) that painted a fairly bleak picture of the future costs of war.

The latest study put the cost of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at 2.7 trillion dollars by 2017. Another recent study put out by the Congressional Budget Office, ostensibly non-partisan, pegged our best-case scenario at 1.7 trillion by 2017.

Here's a friendly reminder from yours truly: 1.7 trillion is one thousand and seven hundred billion dollars.

Taken by itself, the Iraq War has been costlier than every war in American history, save for one: World War II.

Today the San Francisco Chronicle published the costs of war, itemized:

Costs of the war

-- $435 million: Cost of Iraq war each day.

-- $526 billion: Cost of combat operations to date.

-- $1.2 trillion to $1.7 trillion: Estimated Afghanistan and Iraq combat costs through 2017.

-- $590 billion: Future costs of disability benefits and health care for Iraq war veterans.

-- $615 billion: Cost of interest on money borrowed to pay for the war.

-- $280 billion: Cost of replacing equipment and restoring U.S. military to prewar strength.

-- $16,500: Cost of the war to each U.S. family of four from 2003-2008.

-- $36,900: Cost of the war to each family if the war continues for 10 years.

-- $274 billion: Cost of increased oil prices related to the Iraq war, 2003-2008.

The interest due on the trillions the war has and will continue to cost us will be in the hundreds of billions.

All that to say this: It was a mistake to go into Iraq and it is a mistake to stay.

As scary as this sounds, voting for a Democrat for president might be the only thing that can save our economy.

A vote for John McCain is a vote for the status quo, and that is costing us dearly.