Fox Business
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

War at What Cost?

Details

  • Description

    Anthony Gregory of the Independent Institute explains its new policy report on the price of war

  • Duration 4:23
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Latest Video

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

-- dwindling appetite and patients in the United States congress and -- the American body politic writ large.

To expand increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling.

To devote the necessary resources -- make the necessary changes to be serious and capable partners and their own defense.

That was Defense Secretary Robert Gates defending his bloated budget and taking a parting shot at European allies for not spending enough on our own defense.

His message is clear.

America want some help building its empire here -- -- Anthony Gregory of the Independent Institute.

Who recently -- that are revealing report called what price war Afghanistan Iraq and the course of conflict Anthony it's a pleasure.

Welcome back to freedom watch.

Well it's my pleasure judge thanks for having has of the government under President Obama I've been spending on war at the same rate as the government did under president George W.

Bush.

Well pretty much for fiscal year 2011 we're looking at about a 170 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is more than most years under bush at the very -- we saw a slight.

An increase in Bush's war budget but the overall defense budget is is higher than it was under bush despite recent cuts.

Has there been any -- material or substantial change.

In United States foreign policy whether that foreign policy is executed by the Defense Department.

Or the State Department between the presidency of George W.

Bush.

And the presidency of Barack Obama and before you answer remember all the promises that Senator Obama made.

And all the differences he drill between himself and John McCain -- -- prince George Bush during the campaign.

In 08.

There hasn't been much difference Obama promised to get out of I -- now.

He has been withdrawing slowly at the same schedule that bush -- as policy in 2800 the status of forces agreement but now we learn.

That the Pentagon has pressured -- -- And it ended asking us to stay even longer Afghanistan he's tripled the US presence casualties or through the roof.

The price of the Afghanistan war has has skyrocketed.

And of course there's -- Libya war so the idea of preventive war without congressional support.

Without going to the constitutional.

Means of getting -- congressional approval that's continued to.

Attacking a country that pose no threat to America it's the same foreign policy.

I'm reluctant to say.

But what what is it about people who.

Promised something and deliver the opposite stated differently.

A very liberal left -- leaning senator who says too much war.

And too much -- difference to civil liberties.

Becomes a president engages in the same assaults on civil liberties maybe even at a -- extent and actually ratchets up the war when George W.

Bush left office as far as I know.

We were in two countries that we're fighting wars and five.

Yes that's correct and of course you're right about.

The lie is this is what politicians do earlier you were talking about -- I believe it was -- who said that in politics the worst rise of the top.

Now in fairness Obama did promise to expand the Afghanistan war.

It's often forgotten that although he pretended to be -- dump on Iraq he always criticize bush for being too much of a dove.

On -- Afghanistan.

Right our recent poll before we go Anthony.

Shows that the American people might actually be smarter than the congress.

And they blame a substantial amount of our red ink.

On wars and on defense yeah rather than on the bush tax cuts.

Is the congress is the president are the Democrats are many Republicans.

Out of touch with the Americans that we answered those polls.

Absolutely this was a very reassuring fine for me.

That the American people realize that despite the democrats' partisan attack saying that it's all the bush tax cuts fault for this huge deficit problem.

It's actually spending and in particular on this empire and on these counter productive and immoral wars abroad.

Anthony Gregory it's a pleasure as always thanks for joining us.

Thank you judge.

Load More