Iran War Cost Tracker • Hacker News Board

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#251

Post by bawolff » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:27 PM UTC

postflopclarity wrote: post #167

rwyinuse wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about tens of thousands of peaceful civilians who have been killed by the Iranian regime during past decades? The alternative to this war is allowing the Iranian government to keep doing that, business as usual. In my opinion bombing people responsible for these atrocities increases the well-being of the world. Most Iranians seem to agree.

sometimes there are more than two options between "do nothing" and the clusterfuck the current administration has embarked on.

Sometimes yes, but is there in this specific case?

Because from my vantage point it looks like the choice is, status quo or bomb them. Its not like america can double sanction iran, they are already fully economically sanctioned. What is the middle ground here?

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#252

Post by bawolff » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC

Jtsummers wrote: post #236

bawolff wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While oil is a major interest its hardly the only one. USA is still playing at being world hegemon in competition with china and to a lesser extent russia. Maintaining alliances is a part of that.

> USA is still playing at being world hegemon in competition with china and to a lesser extent russia. Maintaining alliances is a part of that. The US has been actively disrupting its most critical alliance, NATO, recently. Threatening to invade an allied nation's territory or force them to hand it over to us to prevent an invasion. Now threatening to block trade with NATO nations. The current administration is doing…

I didn't say they were doing a good job at it.

I would agree, american foreign policy and especially how it is communicated has been all over the place.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#253

Post by mekdoonggi » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:30 PM UTC

DarmokJalad1701 wrote: post #209

danny_codes wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Universal healthcare is cheaper than our system of healthcare by a factor of 2 (comparing other OECD countries). If we raised taxes and implemented universal healthcare we’d save about $1T a year. Cost isn’t the relevant factor, it’s politics. Or more accurately, naked bribery that we, for some insane reason, call “lobbying”.

> If we raised taxes and implemented universal healthcare we’d save about $1T a year If it saves $1T, then why does it require raising taxes?

Because currently the working population pays what is effectively a tax for health insurance. I pay over $450 a month for a family plan, and that's cheap and subsidized AND I need to pay for copays/deductible/coinsurance.

So taxes could go up $5k/yr but if I got health insurance, I'm better off.

The savings would take longer to realize because they come from better contracts, better preventative care, increased screenings etc.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#254

Post by enaaem » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC

rwyinuse wrote: post #151

adriand wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The US has protected global sea lanes for 80 years. But rather than protect global sea lanes, the US is bombing Iran. That’s not the same thing. The idea that the war isn’t costing money for personnel because those people would be doing something anyway makes no sense. They could be doing something else. In fact, they could be doing something that increases the wealth and wellbeing of the world, rather than destroy…

What about tens of thousands of peaceful civilians who have been killed by the Iranian regime during past decades? The alternative to this war is allowing the Iranian government to keep doing that, business as usual. In my opinion bombing people responsible for these atrocities increases the well-being of the world. Most Iranians seem to agree.

I don't see how this is going to work without troops on the ground?

The US had air supremacy, troops on the ground and a friendly regime in Afghanistan and Vietnam, and it did not work. (I am not sure if Iraq was a success, but I am sure that people were super tired of it, and did not want something like that again)

What is just bombing going to do? They just rebuilt their weapons and you have to bomb them again in 1-2 years?

The administration has already suggested sending troops as an option. It does not help that they are just making things up as they go.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#255

Post by flyinglizard » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC

chmod775 wrote: post #207

flyinglizard wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> values align with those of the US Some values those are. Yikes.

More chances than not that you live in a country that benefitted from the American propensity to do the right thing, even at a huge cost to itself. Yes we have a different and more selfish America now, but all said, America still protects the world order that allows this conversation to exist.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#256

Post by bawolff » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

ripvanwinkle wrote: post #63

1234letshaveatw wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

because enriching uranium worked out so well for Iran?

because it worked out for North Korea

Largely because they didn't actually need it. Their conventional artillary pointed at south korea was already (and still is) more of a deterrnt than the nuke is.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#257

Post by aeve890 » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

tarkin2 wrote: post #39

martythemaniak wrote: post #3

Why is the US at war?

Because, like Venezuala, they were selling their oil to China, which would allow China to attack Taiwan and take the US's supply of advanced semi-conductors for its weapons and military dominance

>which would allow China to attack Taiwan

anytime now. trust me bro.

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#258

Post by hereme888 » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

don_esteban wrote: post #228

hereme888 wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree with your perspective, but I do support Iran no longer being a threat to anyone else in the region, no matter what.

Do you support Israel no longer being a threat to anyone else in the region, no matter what?

[flagged]

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#259

Post by IncreasePosts » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:34 PM UTC

tw-20260303-001 wrote: post #198

IncreasePosts wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't make me defend JD vance. He said Europe should pay their fair share for protection since 40% of their trade passes through those lanes but only 3% of America's.

[flagged]

You really think the US should stop supporting Ukraine?

Re: Iran War Cost Tracker

#260

Post by skeeter2020 » Tue, Mar 03, 2026, 9:34 PM UTC

bawolff wrote: post #4

Wouldn't some of these costs be present either way? Without a war US would still have aircraft carriers, they would just be floating somewhere else. On the other side, it seems like this is not tracking interceptor costs (presumably due to it being classified), which have certainly been used extensively and are extremely expensive. For that matter i doubt we have a very clear picture of how much ordinance has been us…

it's also doesn't take into consideration the revenue opportunities, like USA-branded apparel, FanDuel parlay wagers, and I assume that Epic Fury is a summer Marvel franchise, or Wrestling PPV?