Topic: War Costs

As the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War approaches, the hosts compare the original $50-60 billion cost estimate to the actual expenditure of over $823 billion. They recall an early Pentagon estimate of only $2-3 billion and criticize the "human cost" of the conflict as reported by Russia Today.

Fox News reports on the final U.S. troops crossing the border from Iraq into Kuwait, marking the end of a nine-year conflict. The report cites a cost of $800 billion and 4,500 American lives, figures the hosts dispute as being significantly understated. They also comment on the unusual, "Mad Max-style" vehicles used by the departing troops and the high security maintained until the final moments of the withdrawal.

The cost of U.S. operations in Libya is officially estimated at $896 million, though internal documents suggest it will exceed $2.3 billion. Footage of rebels firing expensive 50-caliber rounds into the air from pickup trucks is criticized as a waste of taxpayer-funded ammunition. The combat style is compared to "Mad Max" or action movies starring Denzel Washington.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that the term "blood and treasure" is used by politicians to trigger a "sunk cost" mindset in the public. This rhetorical device frames past casualties as an investment that can only be recouped by continuing the war, a tactic observed in speeches by Obama, McCain, and Kerry.

John C. Dvorak criticizes the "leadership role" rhetoric used by U.S. politicians to justify the Libya conflict, arguing it primarily benefits the military-industrial complex. The hosts estimate the cost of the Libya intervention at $300 million to $500 million per week, noting that defense contractors view these conflicts as their "bread and butter."