Bail-Out Pie Graph... Whoa!

The graphic demonstrates how the 2008 bailout, so far, costs as much as several large and famous government projects added up together. Yes, these numbers are adjusted for inflation. Yeah, because that was the first thing I asked too.

Marshall Plan: Cost: $12.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $115.3 billion
Louisiana Purchase: Cost: $15 million, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $217 billion
Race to the Moon: Cost: $36.4 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $237 billion
S&L Crisis: Cost: $153 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $256 billion
Korean War: Cost: $54 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $454 billion
The New Deal: Cost: $32 billion (Est), Inflation Adjusted Cost: $500 billion (Est)
Invasion of Iraq: Cost: $551b, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $597 billion
Vietnam War: Cost: $111 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $698 billion
NASA: Cost: $416.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $851.2 billion (Wait, why is the moon shot separate? Was that a glitch or was that just the studio location fees?)

TOTAL: $3,920,000,000,000
2008 BAILOUT TOTAL AS OF NOV 2008: $4,616,000,000,000

Holy crap on a magic stick.

However, the Government didn't just buy all those companies - it's underwriting loans to keep the commercial paper that's being written afloat. It's backing 4 Trillion in bad loans. There's a difference.

Buuuuttt... The US Government doesn't have the best track record on its assumption of debt and allocation of credit. To rationally expect a to see a dividend on these expenditures is a cheap diagnosis for brain damage. They'll simply allow enough time to pass for taxpayers to forget how much they were fleeced for... or for three generations die off. Which ever comes first.

The bailout is a new definition of throwing good money after bad. The historical context only illustrates how much money is involved.

Pardon me. How much of YOUR money is involved. Thank you.