number two, the cost of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. $1.3 trillion at this moment. a distant third, the president s stimulus plan, $831 billion. never thought $831 billion would look cheap. well, here s another powerful number. right now this country is paying $224 billion a year in interest on our debt and that number is mushrooming. it becomes an exponential problem. by 2020 we will be paying $544 billion in interest alone. if you want to see something really scary, let s compare that $544 billion to medicare. by 2020 in the year we re paying $544 billion in interest, medicare will cost a mere $279 billion. we ll be paying almost double that just in interest on our debt. now, you may say that s clearly foul and bad and terrible things, but some people believe that spending more is the best way to get this country growing again, to grow out of our problem. paul krugman said the stimulus plan was not big enough. he wants here $800 billion on top of what we already spent
$1.3 trillion at this moment. a distant third, the president s stimulus plan, $831 billion. never thought $831 billion would look cheap. well, here s another powerful number. right now this country is paying $224 billion a year in interest on our debt and that number is mushrooming. it becomes an exponential problem. by 2020 we will be paying $544 billion in interest alone. if you want to see something really scary, let s compare that $544 billion to medicare. by 2020 in the year we re paying $544 billion in interest, medicare will cost a mere $279 billion. we ll be paying almost double that just in interest on our debt. now, you may say that s clearly foul and bad and terrible things, but some people believe that spending more is the best way to get this country growing again, to grow out of our problem. paul krugman said the stimulus plan was not big enough. he wants here $800 billion on top of what we already spent and he is not alone in arguing for more spending, not less
number two, the cost of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. $1.3 trillion at this moment. a distant third, the president s stimulus plan, $831 billion. never thought $831 billion would look cheap. well, here s another powerful number. right now this country is paying $224 billion a year in interest on our debt and that number is mushrooming. it becomes an exponential problem. by 2020 we will be paying $544 billion in interest alone. if you want to see something really scary, let s compare that $544 billion to medicare. by 2020 in the year we re paying $544 billion in interest, medicare will cost a mere $279 billion. we ll be paying almost double that just in interest on our debt. now, you may say that s clearly foul and bad and terrible things, but some people believe that spending more is the best way to get this country growing again, to grow out of our problem. paul krugman said the stimulus plan was not big enough. he wants here $800 billion on top of what we already spent
security to hamid karzai and the specific road map for troops to come home from the more than decade long war. last year, we removed 10,000 u.s. troops from afghanistan. another 23,000 will leave by the end of summer. after that, reductions will continue at a steady pace with more and more of our troops coming home. as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country. the trip fell on the one-year anniversary of the day that the president ordered navy s.e.a.l.s to take out osama bin laden. over the last three years, the tide has turned. we broke the taliban s momentum. we built strong afghan security forces. we devastated al qaeda s leadership, taking out over 20 of the top 30 leaders. one year ago, from the base here in afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed osama bin laden. the goal that i set to defeat al qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild is now within our reach. so does all of
as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country. the trip fell on the one-year anniversary of the day that the president ordered navy s.e.a.l.s to take out osama bin laden. over the last three years, the tide has turned. we broke the taliban s momentum. we built strong afghan security forces. we devastated al qaeda s leadership, taking out over 20 of the top 30 leaders. one year ago, from the base here in afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed osama bin laden. the goal that i set to defeat al qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild is now within our reach. so does all of this add up? does the president s optimism about the future square with what s happening on the ground? sean parnell is the author of outlawed platoon. all right, good to see you. let me just ask you this question, colonel lleyton first. we just heard the president there saying by the end of 2014 afghans will be full