this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2024
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United States | News & Politics

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[–] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago

From Wikipedia:

In 2005, Gerald R. Ford was estimated to cost at least $13 billion: $5 billion for research and development plus $8 billion to build. A 2009 report raised the estimate to $14 billion, including $9 billion for construction. In 2013, the life-cycle cost per operating day of a carrier strike group (including aircraft) was estimated at $6.5 million by the Center for New American Security.

That $14 billion 2009 dollars is $20.45 billion 2024 dollars, and that's not even counting any overruns. $6.5 million 2009 dollars/day to operate = $9.5 million 2024 dollars per day to operate. And that's just one ship.

Thanks to the MIC and its profiteers we can always afford any sum to "project power" (meaning: threaten other nations we don't like or want to manipulate) but can never, somehow, afford the costs of a basic civilized society here at home - things like Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security - nope too expensive, all must be cut, "unsustainable!"