http://www.frumforum.com/obamas-trillions Building a conservatism that can win again Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:56:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.frumforum.com/obamas-trillions/comment-page-1#comment-49611 sinz54 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:42:12 +0000 #comment-49611 fact based: "if they thought nobody would be fooled with this [off-budget Iraq and Afghanistan] then why would you suppose they did it ?" I think mostly it's because the Administration had consistently underestimated the military missions they had committed America to fighting. Remember that prior to the Iraq invasion, the Administration was insisting that the entire war would cost less then $100 billion? As we sunk deeper and deeper into the quagmire in 2005 and 2006, the Administration kept asking Congress for one supplemental appropriation after another--while the Pentagon budget kept reflecting the original assumption that the war would be relatively inexpensive. The war was largely fought on these supplementals--I don't know of any other war that was paid for that way. fact based: “if they thought nobody would be fooled with this [off-budget Iraq and Afghanistan] then why would you suppose they did it ?” I think mostly it’s because the Administration had consistently underestimated the military missions they had committed America to fighting. Remember that prior to the Iraq invasion, the Administration was insisting that the entire war would cost less then $100 billion? As we sunk deeper and deeper into the quagmire in 2005 and 2006, the Administration kept asking Congress for one supplemental appropriation after another–while the Pentagon budget kept reflecting the original assumption that the war would be relatively inexpensive. The war was largely fought on these supplementals–I don’t know of any other war that was paid for that way.

]]> http://www.frumforum.com/obamas-trillions/comment-page-1#comment-42687 sinz54 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:38:01 +0000 #comment-42687 Some reformers (both liberal and conservative) have been hoping that improved care for chronic illnesses will help lower health-care costs. Unfortunately, that hasn't proven out. *Cures* for chronic illnesses would lower health care costs. But better *management* of chronic illnesses just lets the patient live longer; and every additional year he lives, his health care costs continue. Health care, particularly preventive medicine, is gradually lengthening the life span. But that is killing entitlements like Medicare and Social Security, which kick in at age 65. If modern medicine enables a baby born today to live to age 100, that person will be drawing entitlement benefits for 35 years past age 65. That's just unsustainable. Some reformers (both liberal and conservative) have been hoping that improved care for chronic illnesses will help lower health-care costs. Unfortunately, that hasn’t proven out. *Cures* for chronic illnesses would lower health care costs. But better *management* of chronic illnesses just lets the patient live longer; and every additional year he lives, his health care costs continue. Health care, particularly preventive medicine, is gradually lengthening the life span. But that is killing entitlements like Medicare and Social Security, which kick in at age 65. If modern medicine enables a baby born today to live to age 100, that person will be drawing entitlement benefits for 35 years past age 65. That’s just unsustainable.

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