sooly on Nostr: The #US #CENTCOM’s operations cost American taxpayers far more than you ...
The #US #CENTCOM’s operations cost American taxpayers far more than you realize—not just in military budgets, but in hidden economic impacts, staggering debt, and the erosion of vital public services. The true cost? A financial burden that will haunt your kids and their kids and their grandchildren. Read on to uncover the shocking, full scope of how CENTCOM affects you.
Here’s the true price tag:
1. Direct Costs: Operations and #Wars
The most obvious cost to taxpayers is CENTCOM’s military operations. Between 2001 and 2022, the U.S. spent $8 trillion on wars in CENTCOM’s area of operations—primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes:
• $2.3 trillion in #Iraq.
• $2.3 trillion in #Afghanistan.
That’s $25,000 per U.S. household.
2. Indirect Costs: Veterans’ Care
The wars don’t end when the troops come home. Long-term care for veterans is another $2 trillion in projected future spending, according to estimates from the Costs of War Project. This includes:
• Lifetime medical care for over 4 million veterans.
• Disability compensation for soldiers with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and other war-related injuries.
These are lifetime costs U.S. taxpayers will pay for decades.
3. Hidden Costs: Interest on War Borrowing
Here’s what’s even more shocking: Most of CENTCOM’s operations were paid for with borrowed money🤡. The interest on war-related debt has already cost U.S. taxpayers $1 trillion—and could reach $6.5 trillion by 2050. That’s more than the U.S. spent on World War II, adjusted for inflation❗️
This is money that could have been invested in #healthcare, #infrastructure, #education, and natural disaster preparedness response and recovery budgeting.
4. Opportunity Cost: What Taxpayers Missed Out On
The $8 trillion spent on CENTCOM operations could have:
• Paid for #Medicare for All for a decade.
• Eliminated all student debt in the U.S. multiple times over.
• Rebuilt U.S. infrastructure, fixing all bridges and roads in desperate need of repair.
Instead, it went to wars with questionable outcomes. Iraq remains unstable, and Afghanistan fell back into Taliban control after 20 years of occupation.
5. The True Bottom Line
When you add up the direct costs of military operations, the long-term costs of veteran care, the hidden cost of interest on war borrowing, and the lost opportunities to invest in America, CENTCOM’s real burden on taxpayers exceeds $15 trillion.
That’s nearly $120,000 for every U.S. household—money that continues to drain away with every year the U.S. remains engaged in the Middle East. The wars may be “over,” but the financial fallout will haunt American taxpayers for generations.
Yes, there are several additional hidden costs that deepen the financial impact of CENTCOM operations on U.S. taxpayers. These costs often go unnoticed but significantly compound the overall burden. Here’s what else contributes to CENTCOM’s enormous price tag:
6. Economic Disruption from #Oil Market Volatility
CENTCOM’s involvement in the Middle East is heavily driven by the need to secure access to oil. However, U.S. military interventions and instability in the region often trigger oil price spikes that hurt the global economy—and taxpayers bear the brunt.
• The 2003 Iraq invasion led to oil prices surging from $25 to over $100 per barrel, causing global economic disruption.
• Each oil price shock costs American consumers an estimated $1.2 trillion in higher energy prices and lost economic output over a decade.
This volatility, directly linked to U.S. military actions, translates into higher gas prices, increased transportation costs, and inflation that squeeze household budgets—yet is rarely counted in the cost of war.
7. Contracting and Waste in Defense Spending
Billions of dollars in taxpayer money flow to private military contractors supporting CENTCOM’s missions. But audits have revealed shocking levels of fraud, waste, and abuse:
• Over $60 billion was wasted in reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
• U.S. taxpayers have funded $138 billion in contracts to private companies in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of which went to unaccounted for or under-delivered projects.
These contractors—like #Halliburton, which made $39.5 billion from the Iraq war—are profiting while taxpayers foot the bill for mismanagement and corruption.
8. Environmental and Health Costs
CENTCOM operations have left lasting environmental damage in war zones, and taxpayers are often left to pay for the cleanup:
• Burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan—where toxic materials were incinerated—have caused serious health issues among U.S. service members. This has led to a growing number of disability claims, with a potential future cost of billions in VA healthcare and compensation for affected veterans.
• Environmental damage from military bases and combat operations (oil spills, chemical contamination) requires costly remediation, which is seldom factored into war spending.
9. Impact on Domestic Security Spending
U.S. military involvement in CENTCOM regions has fueled anti-American sentiment, creating a feedback loop of increased security risks at home:
• The expansion of CENTCOM’s wars has driven increased domestic security spending, including on Homeland Security and counter-terrorism programs. U.S. taxpayers spend $1.1 trillion annually on overall security, with a significant portion aimed at mitigating threats created by U.S. intervention abroad.
10. Social and Economic Costs of Veterans’ Reintegration
Beyond the healthcare costs for veterans, their reintegration into society often results in:
• Increased demand for social services like housing and employment programs for veterans. Homelessness among veterans of CENTCOM’s wars remains persistently high, requiring additional taxpayer-funded support.
• Mental health crises among veterans, including higher rates of PTSD and suicide, put strain on public mental health resources, stretching thin local and federal social safety nets.
The Final Toll: What’s Really at Stake
Adding these layers of indirect, hidden, and societal costs, the total taxpayer burden for CENTCOM’s operations balloons even further, likely crossing $20 trillion over the coming decades. This is a staggering, often unseen cost that leaves:
• Families under economic pressure from increased taxes and cuts to social programs to cover war-related debts.
• Future generations shackled by debt and interest payments for wars they didn’t fight in, as they inherit a nation strained by war debt, veteran care, and diminished economic opportunities.
The numbers don’t lie—CENTCOM’s operations have placed a massive, ongoing strain on U.S. taxpayers and on the USD inflation which has global financial and economic repercussions.
If you found this eye-opening, I encourage you to share it and spark the conversation about where our money is really going.
For more insights, read my piece on “U.S. Military Aid and Support to Israel: The Financial Burden on American Taxpayers” ➡️[note193t0lg9ek60v3ty20ge8lmyvnkvny5nk37da3symj6ux3ad7d7asy3u953].
Here’s the true price tag:
1. Direct Costs: Operations and #Wars
The most obvious cost to taxpayers is CENTCOM’s military operations. Between 2001 and 2022, the U.S. spent $8 trillion on wars in CENTCOM’s area of operations—primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes:
• $2.3 trillion in #Iraq.
• $2.3 trillion in #Afghanistan.
That’s $25,000 per U.S. household.
2. Indirect Costs: Veterans’ Care
The wars don’t end when the troops come home. Long-term care for veterans is another $2 trillion in projected future spending, according to estimates from the Costs of War Project. This includes:
• Lifetime medical care for over 4 million veterans.
• Disability compensation for soldiers with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and other war-related injuries.
These are lifetime costs U.S. taxpayers will pay for decades.
3. Hidden Costs: Interest on War Borrowing
Here’s what’s even more shocking: Most of CENTCOM’s operations were paid for with borrowed money🤡. The interest on war-related debt has already cost U.S. taxpayers $1 trillion—and could reach $6.5 trillion by 2050. That’s more than the U.S. spent on World War II, adjusted for inflation❗️
This is money that could have been invested in #healthcare, #infrastructure, #education, and natural disaster preparedness response and recovery budgeting.
4. Opportunity Cost: What Taxpayers Missed Out On
The $8 trillion spent on CENTCOM operations could have:
• Paid for #Medicare for All for a decade.
• Eliminated all student debt in the U.S. multiple times over.
• Rebuilt U.S. infrastructure, fixing all bridges and roads in desperate need of repair.
Instead, it went to wars with questionable outcomes. Iraq remains unstable, and Afghanistan fell back into Taliban control after 20 years of occupation.
5. The True Bottom Line
When you add up the direct costs of military operations, the long-term costs of veteran care, the hidden cost of interest on war borrowing, and the lost opportunities to invest in America, CENTCOM’s real burden on taxpayers exceeds $15 trillion.
That’s nearly $120,000 for every U.S. household—money that continues to drain away with every year the U.S. remains engaged in the Middle East. The wars may be “over,” but the financial fallout will haunt American taxpayers for generations.
Yes, there are several additional hidden costs that deepen the financial impact of CENTCOM operations on U.S. taxpayers. These costs often go unnoticed but significantly compound the overall burden. Here’s what else contributes to CENTCOM’s enormous price tag:
6. Economic Disruption from #Oil Market Volatility
CENTCOM’s involvement in the Middle East is heavily driven by the need to secure access to oil. However, U.S. military interventions and instability in the region often trigger oil price spikes that hurt the global economy—and taxpayers bear the brunt.
• The 2003 Iraq invasion led to oil prices surging from $25 to over $100 per barrel, causing global economic disruption.
• Each oil price shock costs American consumers an estimated $1.2 trillion in higher energy prices and lost economic output over a decade.
This volatility, directly linked to U.S. military actions, translates into higher gas prices, increased transportation costs, and inflation that squeeze household budgets—yet is rarely counted in the cost of war.
7. Contracting and Waste in Defense Spending
Billions of dollars in taxpayer money flow to private military contractors supporting CENTCOM’s missions. But audits have revealed shocking levels of fraud, waste, and abuse:
• Over $60 billion was wasted in reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
• U.S. taxpayers have funded $138 billion in contracts to private companies in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of which went to unaccounted for or under-delivered projects.
These contractors—like #Halliburton, which made $39.5 billion from the Iraq war—are profiting while taxpayers foot the bill for mismanagement and corruption.
8. Environmental and Health Costs
CENTCOM operations have left lasting environmental damage in war zones, and taxpayers are often left to pay for the cleanup:
• Burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan—where toxic materials were incinerated—have caused serious health issues among U.S. service members. This has led to a growing number of disability claims, with a potential future cost of billions in VA healthcare and compensation for affected veterans.
• Environmental damage from military bases and combat operations (oil spills, chemical contamination) requires costly remediation, which is seldom factored into war spending.
9. Impact on Domestic Security Spending
U.S. military involvement in CENTCOM regions has fueled anti-American sentiment, creating a feedback loop of increased security risks at home:
• The expansion of CENTCOM’s wars has driven increased domestic security spending, including on Homeland Security and counter-terrorism programs. U.S. taxpayers spend $1.1 trillion annually on overall security, with a significant portion aimed at mitigating threats created by U.S. intervention abroad.
10. Social and Economic Costs of Veterans’ Reintegration
Beyond the healthcare costs for veterans, their reintegration into society often results in:
• Increased demand for social services like housing and employment programs for veterans. Homelessness among veterans of CENTCOM’s wars remains persistently high, requiring additional taxpayer-funded support.
• Mental health crises among veterans, including higher rates of PTSD and suicide, put strain on public mental health resources, stretching thin local and federal social safety nets.
The Final Toll: What’s Really at Stake
Adding these layers of indirect, hidden, and societal costs, the total taxpayer burden for CENTCOM’s operations balloons even further, likely crossing $20 trillion over the coming decades. This is a staggering, often unseen cost that leaves:
• Families under economic pressure from increased taxes and cuts to social programs to cover war-related debts.
• Future generations shackled by debt and interest payments for wars they didn’t fight in, as they inherit a nation strained by war debt, veteran care, and diminished economic opportunities.
The numbers don’t lie—CENTCOM’s operations have placed a massive, ongoing strain on U.S. taxpayers and on the USD inflation which has global financial and economic repercussions.
If you found this eye-opening, I encourage you to share it and spark the conversation about where our money is really going.
For more insights, read my piece on “U.S. Military Aid and Support to Israel: The Financial Burden on American Taxpayers” ➡️[note193t0lg9ek60v3ty20ge8lmyvnkvny5nk37da3symj6ux3ad7d7asy3u953].