Think About What We Could Do with the Money!
“War Is Expensive for the Little People”
March 3, 2026
On Sunday, according to the U.S. military, Kuwaiti forces shot down three U.S. F-15s in a “friendly fire” incident. Fortunately, the crews were able to safely eject and survived. The sad truth is that such incidents are common in modern war. One of the highest-ranking U.S. officers to die in World War II, General Lesley McNair, was killed in Normandy by U.S. bombs, not the Germans.
The shocking aspect of the story is the value of the equipment destroyed: A new F-15 costs U.S. taxpayers $97 million. So that’s almost $300 million lost in seconds. And we should think about what could have been done with that money other than launch a war without a clear plan or an exit strategy.
There are many reasons to be disturbed by Operation Epic Fury. Donald Trump has taken America to war, not only without Congressional authorization, but without even trying to make a case to the American people. Other than the hope that Iranians will rise up and overthrow the Ayatollahs’ regime, the war has no clear plan for either victory or exit. This strongly suggests that the rush to war was a Trump ego tantrum rather than a carefully planned campaign. And although it would be a great boon to the world if the Iranian people were able to liberate themselves from this evil regime, as with any war there are huge risks of unforeseen consequences, including to the world economy.
One of the reasons to be disturbed by this war is the extraordinary amount of money the U.S. government is either laying out now or will have to lay out in the future to replace the spent munitions.
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Just to give you an idea what $300 million could be used for those plans did not exist and are now garbage. Running short on time tonight. I asked Artificial Intelligence to conjure up some ideas. For an example and in general. It suggested:
“A $300 million investment in the US can fund significant infrastructure, agricultural, and economic development projects, such as repairing9 small-to-medium bridges, supporting 50 projects to assist underserved farmers with land access, or launching industrial, power-ready sites. It can also modernize ferry fleets, create greenway trails, or boost local manufacturing.”
I asked for some detail in the ideas and Artificial Intelligence came back with this:
- Infrastructure & Transportation: The FHWA is funding nine small-to-medium bridge projects in8 states and D.C., while the FERRIES Act proposes this amount to modernize ferry fleets and shipyard infrastructure.
- Agriculture & Land Access: The USDA announced roughly 50 projects to improve land access and capital for underserved farmers.
- Economic & Industrial Development: New York’s POWER UP program utilizes $300 million for electrical infrastructure at industrial sites, while similar amounts are used for, for example, manufacturing facilities (e.g., in Mississippi).
- Community & Green Spaces: Proposed legislation uses this amount for a DOT fund for greenway projects in rural and disadvantaged areas.
- Government Facilities: A proposed 2025 project involves building a new 300-million-dollar ballroom department of Transportation (.gov) +7
I can not image a Trump built ballroom as his ideas are garish or garbage. Whatever you prefer in description of his thoughts. We could probably ask Artificial Intelligence what might look good with a couple of hundred-year-old White House (?). Or hang on to the $300 million. Maybe we tear down what Trump builds and replace it with a more Washington D.C. room where he tore the old one down. Invest in people.