[onlyrealcuzzo]

US healthcare costs on the order of $3T per year.

The Iraq war cost about $2T over a decade.

You could have about 10% subsidized healthcare, which I would obviously argue is better than pointless war killing tons of people.

But you couldn't just "have healthcare".

[eqvinox]

You're forgetting that U.S. healthcare costs are also massively overblown compared to other western countries, due to the absence of proper collective bargaining. (And possibly even collusion between insurers and healthcare providers to rip off citizens and the government.)

[onlyrealcuzzo]

That has nothing to do with the Department of Defense / War, or its budget.

[shermozle]

Yep just like many things Americans are sure can't be done, universal healthcare has never been done anywhere in the world, ever. And healthcare everywhere costs what Americans are willing to pay (public and private money).

See also: not having daily mass shootings.

[fma]

I don't think OP is talking about a specific war, but the overall cost to maintain such a capability and project force all over the world. At least that is what I perceive when people lament about lack of healthcare.

The United States military budget is now 1.5 trillion dollars per year.

[onlyrealcuzzo]

Sure, we could just not have a military and hold hands with Russia and China and everyone else.

We wouldn't need healthcare.

We'd just be dead.

[dcel]

The UK spends around £200bn a year on public healthcare that covers everyone, for a population around 1/5th the size. Scale that up and convert to USD and you’re still well under half the $3tn figure you quoted.