Afghanistan

Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor and conservative "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough agree: America cannot afford to spend $2 billion per week in Afghanistan while millions of its own citizens languish without a job.


During a discussion Wednesday about the nation's high unemployment rate, Gov. Ed Rendell proposed a massive federal investment in infrastructure to spur job growth and address the country's flagging transportation, energy and water systems. Scarborough, with an eye on the bottom line, asked about how it would be funded. Arianna, who was also a guest, suggested that the U.S. look towards Afghanistan. Scarborough and Rendell immediately agreed.

"Think about this," Scarborough said, "Over the next week, we will spend over $2 billion in Afghanistan. What if we invested that in our economy? $2 billion a week on a war without end!"

Rendell took Scarborough's figure and expanded on it, imagining what the U.S. could do at home with the money spent on the war in Afghanistan.

"For $2 billion a week, that's $100 billion a year. You could finance a federal capital budget where you're spending 1.1 trillion dollars fixing up our infrastructure. That's the debt service on 1.1 trillion of work. That would keep American manufacturing humming for the next four years."

Scarborough summarized his concerns about Afghanistan. "When we are debt-ridden, when our economy is collapsing, when our troops are spread out across the globe, how do we continue fighting a war without an endgame?, he asked.

Scarborough continued, "Our endgame... is propping up Karzai -- a corrupt, ineffective leader who's suggested he could bolt for the Taliban at any time."

Tirado daqui.