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 [ VOICES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=375)

#  War and Waste

May 14 2026

Written by Liz Amsden.

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ACCORDING TO LIZ - Every day Trump rejects Iran’s peace proposals out of hand, it costs the American taxpayer billions.

War reparations, an end to sanctions, and control of the Strait of Hormuz are a necessary place to start negotiations; the American president must cease with his “my way or the highway” mentality and start behaving responsibly.

Pete Hegseth’s claim this illegal war has “only” cost $25 billion is a blatant falsehood. This is, read my words the Iraq war on steroids – it will cost trillions in the end.

Between armament use and troop deployments, not to mention predictable longer-term expenses like veterans’ care and escalating interest on the national debt, the Center for International Policy puts the figure at $71.8 billion over the first 60 days, or $1.2 billion a day. And counting.

Wars don’t get amortized to be cheaper as the days roll on; with damaged and destroyed military assets and the increased pressure to win, expenditures tend to accelerate exponentially.

Also uncounted is the Pentagon’s perennial internal mismanagement of funds documented by its absolute inability to ever pass an audit or provide accurate accounting – which will only accelerate in the chaos of this war under the impulsive directives of the White House.

And the continued hemorrhaging of billions in military aid to Israel. Oh yes, Israel doesn’t pay for the bulk of the weapons it gets to bomb, bomb Iran and Lebanon. That’s the privilege of the American taxpayer.

Then there’s the approval of another $17 billion in missiles and military matérial for the Gulf states earlier this month, even as American weapons stockpiles are being precipitously drawn down.

Not to mention Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system with an estimated cost of $1.2 trillion to create, deploy, and operate over the first 20 years of its existence. And when has any Defence Department – oops, Department of War – contract ever come in on time and on budget?

And there’s the obscene expense of building, hardening and maintaining military bases all over the world.

Not to mention the indirect costs of political support for Netanyahu and other dictators profiting from wars such as Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman, as well as other sickening examples of this administration’s ongoing destabilization of the international order.

And, on the home front, exponentially accelerating increases at the pump and on our heating bills every day, primarily caused by American oil producers flagrantly taking advantage of depleted oil supplies in other countries profiting by selling product overseas and reducing what is available for domestic consumption thus forcing up prices at home.

A double and triple impact as purchases by consumers, subcontractors, and American manufacturers must also be transported.

Recently released data shows federal inflation at its highest ever since Trump took office. Promises, promises as the president’s pet war has pushed up food as well as energy costs. People can conceivably go without a car, but without food?

That half-trillion for warmongering in Trump’s must-have budget sent to Congress?

Could, instead, meaningfully address issues of concern to ordinary citizens – Medicare, healthcare and daycare, housing for the homeless and food for the hungry, job creation, disaster relief and teacher training, climate resilience and emergency response.

Driving more credit card debt, more bankruptcies, more poverty, more illness, more purportedly unintended deaths.

At the end of March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio opined on Good Morning America: “Imagine an Iran that, instead of spending their wealth, billions of dollars, supporting terrorists or weapons, had spent that money helping the people of Iran. You'd have a much different country.”

Then reiterated the same sentiment to Al Jazeera, pointing out that if Iran redirected its military budget, the country “wouldn't have water shortages” and its economy “would provide opportunities for an incredible people.”

How about the United States do the same.

Trump’s actual follow-up?

That his administration has “to take care of one thing: military protection” and can’t pay for necessities like healthcare and childcare for Americans.

And have his DOJ subpoena major news outlets in an after-the-fact effort to quash how badly his Middle Eastern mess is progressing.

Successive U.S. governments and the military mindset at the Pentagon have for over half a century distanced themselves from the moral consequences of collateral damage.

Now we have one that through lack of qualified leadership, lack of adequate guardrails on A.I. and nuclear weapons, and lack of principles is inching towards its own version of a universal Final Solution.

***(Liz Amsden** is a former Angeleno now living in Vermont and a regular CityWatch contributor. She writes on issues she’s passionate about, including social justice, government accountability, and community empowerment. Liz brings a sharp, activist voice to her commentary and continues to engage with Los Angeles civic affairs from afar. She can be reached at **<LizAmsden@hotmail.com>**.)*

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