The Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War

David Leonhardt writes an excellent piece in the New York Times which compares the costs of the Iraq War with other items we might have purchased. He writes:

Whatever number you use for the war’s total cost, it will tower over costs that normally seem prohibitive. Right now, including everything, the war is costing about $200 billion a year.

Treating heart disease and diabetes, by contrast, would probably cost about $50 billion a year. The remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations — held up in Congress partly because of their cost — might cost somewhat less. Universal preschool would be $35 billion. In Afghanistan, $10 billion could make a real difference. At the National Cancer Institute, annual budget is about $6 billion.

Hell, we could have universal health care for $100 billion a year. Think of how many lives could be saved as opposed to all the death and carnage that has been wrought by the horrible decision to engage in this war.