I read the transcript from the latest OBL tape here: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6387378/

I read the part where he's saying his tactic is to bleed America dry (financially) and I got to thinking that it's a viable vulnerability we have. We are spending obscene amounts of money fighting this war (not to downplay the great things that our soldiers are doing, God bless them) and there doesnt seem to be an end in sight.
I'm not trolling or looking for a flame-war, but why should I not be concerned about this?
Not to say that this has had any impact on the way I'm voting, but it throws up a red flag in my mind.

What do you guys think?

I think that's bullshit.  We won the cold war didn't we?

Yeah, don't worry about it.

Basically he reiterated what terrorism is, and what it does.

There was another thread on this yesterday... here

Basically, just live your life in a post 9/11/01, always aware, way.

Pretty much. Vietnam and the cold war all cost the US hundreds of billion a year. Most of the military budget in those years was strickly for the cold war. How many missles do you need? Enough to survive a first strike, so we build more. The cuts to the budget so people get tax breaks, and still attempt to balance it.
Just by cold war standards, it didn't and wasn't close to bleeding us dry. If he wants we can support this money wise for at least another 50 years.
But as games teach us, it is cheaper to nuke the place then send in soldiers. Hopefully we realize this soon.

He's going to die soon.

Its up to Americans. Take a look at your neighbors,colleagues and the people you see every day in their cars and at the stores, etc. Whether ubl has any sway is up to them... What's your confidence in your fellow citizens? Tonight's election results may help you answer.

A weak or fearful society will be affected. A strong one will kill the bad guys and move on.

it's bullshit... we outspent the the Soviet Union into ch. 11.. he's nuts....

DoD spending including Homeland Security, as a % of the total budget, is less today than it was throughout the 1980s. And today, economic growth is faster, and tax revenues are more rebust.

Sources coming...

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/pdf/hist.pdf  

see page 27: deficits as % of GDP
and page 49 bottom sections showing spending by category as % of total budget and GDP.

Be sure to compare the trends over the last 60 years.

I think most of you will find this data eye-opening.

The man has no grasp of economics.

Iraq war will cost about 1% of our budget.  

he is not us, and we are not the soviet union....

We have COUNTIES with more net worth then entire COUNTRIES that are OBL friendly.
Saying he can bleed us dry is like saying Einstein would struggle through Algebra 101.

No doubt we have the $$$, but what ubl understands is that our economy is based on 'consumer confidence'. Whether we lose our confidence is largely up to us.

Quoted: I think that's bullshit.  We won the cold war didn't we?

<-------- +1!

CW

Yeah, it's pretty much what Kerry's Economics Policy will do to us as well.

With four more years and no concern about re-election, Bush will show OBL the meaning of the phrase "Bleed Dry".

I spoke of this weeks ago ---

it will hurt us  - he is hated

not stupid.

Quoted: No doubt we have the $$$, but what ubl understands is that our economy is based on 'consumer confidence'. Whether we lose our confidence is largely up to us.

Actually, our economy is based on market forces... in the case of declining consumer confidence, resulting in lower demand for goods and services, prices will decrease. As prices decrease, consumers and investors would reconsider buying and investment decisions, eventually increasing demand, driving prices back up.

Another point. Bin Laden's view (and that of much of the rest of the world's) is that defense spending is a 100% sunk cost. That simply is not the case. Because the core of our military manufacturing base is owned by the private sector (shareholders like you and me).. much of the money spent on weapons and people flows back to the private economy. One step further (even better) is the fact that there is competition between our contractors, usually. And these contractors, whether sole sourced or competetivley sourced, make their investment and production decisions, for the most part, independent of Gov't influence...i.e., Boeng is free to try to sell the Gov't a crappy weapon system.. if Gov't doesnt like it, Lockheed Martin would be happy to give it try.

This only exists in the US.

God Bless America.

Typical middle eastern flowery rhetoric/babble.

Anyone who believes it is gullible enough to vote for Skerry.

Quoted: God Bless America.

God Bless America

I ignored the reference in the original post to military spending: the idea that DoD spending will bring us down is just BS. Where defense is concerned the USA can outspend everyone. Fact.

If walmart and the malls are empty for extended periods we tank. We are strong on services and retail. If our enemy weren't so inept we'd all be in trouble by now

Trivia: what did Bush ask everyone to do after 9/11? He wasn't just being nice by asking you to go to the mall. He meant it...

Quoted: Quoted: God Bless America. God Bless America I ignored the reference in the original post to military spending: the idea that DoD spending will bring us down is just BS. Where defense is concerned the USA can outspend everyone. Fact. If walmart and the malls are empty for extended periods we tank. We are strong on services and retail. If our enemy weren't so inept we'd all be in trouble by now Trivia: what did Bush ask everyone to do after 9/11? He wasn't just being nice by asking you to go to the mall. He meant it...

I think a good historical reference is the WWII... consumption and supply of consumer goods and services dropped significantly. Most economic activity revolved around the war effort... and it was our private system of free enterprise that permitted the country to function economically and bounce back, even before the War ended.

I think he's refering to helping Kerry get elected and then watching as Kerrys economic and social programs bleed us all dry - financially speaking.

I'm surprised we haven't paraded him out yet. I was convinced he was our "October Surprise."

Oh well.

Quoted: I think he's refering to helping Kerry get elected and then watching as Kerrys economic and social programs bleed us all dry - financially speaking.

Damn good point there!

Quoted: I think a good historical reference is the WWII... consumption and supply of consumer goods and services dropped significantly. Most economic activity revolved around the war effort... and it was our private system of free enterprise that permitted the country to function economically and bounce back, even before the War ended.

That is a good comparison.

Now if we are all sure that Americans would all 'suck it up' the way my parent's and grandparent's generation did we'd be in good shape. Dad was just talking about gas rations the other day. Glad we haven't had to do it yet. Can you picture inner-city contributions to the war effort today? Worries me just a little.