Statistics Worth Noting

The January 18-25 issue of America provides some sobering statistics about the Pentagon's budget. Here are the "Defense Trade-Offs" listed:

$1 million, the amount required to put one U.S. soldier into the field in Afghanistan for one year.

$3.6 billion, the cost of one month of war in Afghanistan.

$8 billion, the “reduced” amount committed to missile defense.

$7 billion, the amount the Navy will receive for seven vessels.

$7 billion, the amount the U.S. Air Force will spend to acquire 30 new fighters.

$5.7 billion, the unallocated price tag for sending every at-risk 4-year-old in the United States to quality pre-school.

$3 billion, the unallocated cost of preventing 59 million children in the developing world from going to school hungry.

$10 billion, the annual amount still needed to ensure that those same children have a classroom to go to.