The 113USD Billion Hole: 10 Things America Gave Up This Year To Pay For The War In Afghanistan

Money spent on the war represents resources that are being drained away from important domestic priorities in a nation with sky-high unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. 

Using data from the National Priorities Project, ThinkProgress calculated ten investments America could’ve afforded if it didn’t spend $113 billion — the allotment made in Fiscal Year 2011 — on the war in Afghanistan. Each one of these policy options represents an equivalent $113 billion cost:

• Provide 57.5 Million Children With Low-Income Health Care For 2011
• Provide 23 Million People With Low-Income Health Coverage In 2011
• Give 20.2 Million $5,500 Pell Grants To Students In 2011
• Provide 14.35 million Military Veterans With VA Medical Care In 2011
• Give 14.7 million Children Head Start Funding In 2011
• Give 14.26 Million Scholarships To University Students In 2011
• Employ 1.93 million Firefighters In 2011
• Hire 1.75 Million Elementary School Teachers In 2011
• Hire 1.65 Million Police Officers In 2011
• Equip 67.8 Million Households With The Ability To Use Wind Power In 2011
• Equip 25.39 Million Households With The Ability To Use Solar Photovoltaic Energy In 2011

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