War in Iraq to cost over $2 trillion

Ashmo said:
In English it tends to be a bit easier to use the shorter scale because "billiard" makes merkins think you're talking about a game of Pool.

Also, the shorter scale makes numbers sound bigger to those accustomed to the longer one. That's always good for dramatisation.
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Uhm, actually, it IS an England - USA thing. The English do say Billiard, the Americans don't. From the dict;

bil·lion Pronunciation (blyn)
n.
1. The cardinal number equal to 10^9.
2. Chiefly British The cardinal number equal to 10^12.
3. An indefinitely large number.

And as usual the Americans follow the LEAST logical path...

million: single million
billion: a million times a million. "Bi" refers to two, as in a million squared.
trillion: a million times a million times a million. "Tri" refers to three.

Not only logical, but also the normal way it was established 15th century BC, whereas the whole smaller scale thing the Americans use was actually a minority phenomenon in the 17th century BC.

But you know the yanks, the smaller the better. Small words for small minds.

PS: the thing being here, in answer to the original question, that 2 trillion USD is 2 000 000 000 000, in Britain 2 trillion BP is 2 000 000 000 000 000 000. Cool, no?
 
Kharn said:
Uhm, actually, it IS an England - USA thing. The English do say Billiard, the Americans don't.
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More like USA - rest of the world thing. We in Croatia also use the million - milliard - billion system. As far as I know, all of our neighbours do, too. Which means Croatia and other cesspits make more sense than America, at least as far as math terminology goes.

How sad is that?
 
Ashmo said:
Actually, no.

It's a US vs. Everybody Else thing.

Again.
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Yes yes yes, I indicated the Britain VS US thing because you said "in English it's easier not to use billiard" or whatever, which seemed to imply the smaller notation is an English-speaking thing rather than an American thing.

Just admit you're wrong, it's much easier.
 
Ratty said:
Kharn said:
Uhm, actually, it IS an England - USA thing. The English do say Billiard, the Americans don't.
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More like USA - rest of the world thing. We in Croatia also use the million - milliard - billion system. As far as I know, all of our neighbours do, too. Which means Croatia and other cesspits make more sense than America, at least as far as math terminology goes.

How sad is that?
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Maybe we have smaller numbers because our money is worth something besides toilet paper, Ratty?
 
The Euro is more expensive than the US Dollar so I don't see that work out.

The same is true for the GBP vs. USD.
 
Welsh Mode?

I am wondering where the conservative/libertarians with a social conscience are to respond to this.

Let's see, 2 Trillion could have been spent on social programs, schools, infrastructure, healthcare, new technology, etc. Hell even space technology would have more positive externalities than dumping them into the military-industrial complex?

Instead it was given to the military industrial complex to pay for guns, bombs and other means of mass destruction.

And who pays for it? Your tax dollars at work.

Can you folks explain to me how two trillion tax dollars given to the military is better than two trillion given to improving our society?

Conservative Republicans? Or have they all run away, are hiding in shameful embarrassment, or are having a change of heart.

Constitutional Amendment to Recall the President!
 
welsh said:
Welsh Mode?
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You know how you like to break the article you post into paragraphs and briefly comment each paragraph? I did just that, hence "Welsh mode".
 
Heh...on a lark, I even passed the topic of the different counting methods to my nephew's high school mathematics teacher.

Utterly fucking clueless. :D

It isn't the difference in numeric notation that gets me, it's the complete American cluelessness about this that is the real funny.
 
welsh said:
Instead it was given to the military industrial complex to pay for guns, bombs and other means of mass destruction.
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So the US devoted 2 trillion dollars into weapons of mass destruction to stop the production of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Mmmm and I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!
 
Mmm you insult me by thinking it even possible I could be serious :). I just had that song pop into my mind as I was responding and thought it a terrible twist to add at the end.
 
welsh said:
I am wondering where the conservative/libertarians with a social conscience are to respond to this.
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Well, since you're wondering, here you go.

Understand that not all conservatives, or republicans for that matter support Bush's wrong and unltimately suicidal foreign policy. The war in Iraq being one of many major points of disagreement among conservatives. In fact, Bush is in many ways the antithesis of what traditional conservatives stand for. Unfortunately, the neocons have highjacked much of the conservative movement, creating causal support for their own questionable agendas, with the interests of the american people not of concern. And it's being done all under the charade of moral superiority and democracy.

The American Conservative and Chronicles Magazine are two notable conservative publications with a dissident stance towards Bush and company.

EDIT: Fixed link to direct to home page.
 
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