War Nickel

Why do Americans whine when gas goes up a nickel but don’t complain that they are spending 3.7 trillion on war?

The nickel comes directly out of their own pockets; the war budget is rolled up with all the other things government does, and taxes them to pay for.

Again, if (as we are often told, and as many believe) some of the wars are at bottom about security of oil supplies, then war costs become a necessary business expense to keep price rises to a minimum. You cannot expect someone to complain about the increased cost and also about action believed to be intended to keep those costs down.

Interesting question: how much per year does the war cost the average US citizen in taxes, and how much does he spend on petrol? It is quite possible that the extra nickel per gallon actually costs him more than the war. Anyone have accurate figures?

The Magnetic Mystery War Nickel.