We Need To Talk.

[unhappycamper]

This one sentence in an article grabbed my attention (as it should yours).

F-35 Still Over Budget, But Engines Now Cheaper

One line from this article sez:

The F-35 program is running at $400 billion, well over budget. The plane, built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), is behind schedule as well.

How much is $400 billion dollars? How can we show the impact of what we cannot do because we are still buying these things?

Let me take a cut at it. For every one million dollars we spend on any military project whether it be for new gear or bombing/invasion/occupation, we could give (outright) $50 grand ($50,000) to 20 individuals. Every one billion dollars we spend equals 20,000 $50 grand jobs/handouts, whatever.

$400 billion is the equivalent of eight million $50 grand jobs/handouts, whatever.

Using those same ideas, what's the impact of our new stealth Zumwalt-class destroyers? Wikipedia sez these things cost US$3.45 billion each. I think that number is a coupla billion low, but:

$3.45 billion = (3 x 20,000) + (.45 x 20,000) = 69,000 $50 grand jobs/handouts, whatever.

It's simple:

One million dollars of military spending = 20 $50 grand jobs/handouts, whatever.
One billion dollars of military spending = 20,000 $50 grand jobs/handouts, whatever.

It's time to call your congresscritter.