Wednesday, February 26, 2003

11:47:46 PM   "Today's upper managers are about the most gutless swine ever to inhabit a corner office."- Age of Cynicism [via EE Times and one Mr. Kopec] // Amen.

2:09:04 PM   Amazing numbers. Independent estimate of the impending war with Iraq (from the WSJ) • Conflict: $20-80 billion   • Peacekeeping: $25-105 billion (five years)    • Humanitarian assistance: $1-10 billion  (Note:  I think this figure is very, very low)   • Cost of governance: (civil servants and police force) $5-12 bil.   • Reconstruction including oil fields: $10-105 bil.   • Aid to allies: $6-10 bil.  (Note:  this looks really low considering the deal with Turkey alone is ~$25b)   • Debt claims and reparations: $62-361 bil.   Bush just sent his first request into Congress for $95 b to fight this war.  At the end of the day, this war may top the $494 b in current US dollars we spent on Vietnam and the $336 b we spent on the Korean war.  The war in Afghanistan cost the US ~$37 b already and current plans call for spending of $7 b a year for ongoing operations.  In the Iraq scenarios, the high intensity warfare planned for will cost $500 m a day.   In contrast, the US spends ~$10 b a year on development and humanitarian aid.   [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

1:54:01 PM   Motorola now selling on Ebay.