12/22/22: Mr. Blogger is often reminded of something General George Washington said. The man who watched his troops shiver and suffer at Valley Forge, knew more than he ever wanted to know about how armies fared when lacking food and equipment. “In modern wars,” he said, “the longest purse must chiefly determine the event.”
Today, let’s see what the U.S. military could buy with all the federal income taxes paid by then-President Trump in 2020.
How many privates in the U.S. Army could we afford?
For example, how many privates, with less than two years’ experience in the U.S. Army, could we afford?
Cost per private: $21,999.60 annually. Trump is a billionaire. I’m thinking at least a hundred.
You have to cloth the privates’ private parts. We don’t want any Valley Forge scenarios playing out. That would cost extra.
And they’d need weapons. You can’t fight wars with spatulas. Or ball point pens. (I was a clerk in the Marines. So I know that.)
An M16 rifle for Private Smith would be $749.
A five-ton cargo truck would set the Pentagon back $67,139; but Private Smith and his comrades need those supplies delivered. So I think we can put Donald down for two cargo trucks and a few cases of Meals Ready to Eat.
And might I say that whatever psycho decided, during the late 60s and early 70s, when I was in the Marines, that a case of twelve C-rations should always include a meal of ham and lima beans should have been court martialed.
Then he should have been sent to the brig and fed only meals of ham and lima beans for the duration of his service.
But I
digress.
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The blogger on duty - 1969. That toilet bowl brush and that urinal cost money. |
How about an experienced major to help lead Smith’s battalion? A major with eight years of service will cost $88.635.60.
Suppose Private Smith were to be shot. Besides bandages, you could use a Humvee, set up for ambulance service – to whisk him or her or they (did you know hundreds of transgender troops are currently serving) out of danger. The vehicle alone would cost $96,466. And I think we can all agree that President Trump – who used to talk endlessly about how much he loved the troops – not counting trans soldiers, who he wanted to ban – would want the wounded soldier to ride in comfort to the hospital.
(I guess the transgender soldier could be carried on a stretcher. Or walk, if not bleeding too profusely.)
As of October 2022, Forbes estimates that Trump is worth $3.2 billion. So you figure he’s going to be paying his fair share to support the military of this great nation. In fact, I remember when he insisted that the U.S. military didn’t have money for bullets when he took over as president.
Let’s figure the Commander-in-Chief would want to pay for a few bullets. Did you know the Army worries about lead bullets, because lead can be harmful in the environment, and cleanup can be expensive on firing ranges. That means the military guys are trying to change over to 5.56 mm rounds for the M16, with tungsten replacing lead. It’s complicated. For example, on just one firing range, over a ten-year period, it is estimated that 1,890,000 rounds will be fired, and the Army will have to clean up 4.3 tons of lead.
Like George Washington said, the “longest purse” wins.
It costs money to shoot at people, even when you miss.
It costs money to shoot at people, even when you miss. I can’t find a price for the U.S. Army, but at one gun store, I could buy a case of ammo for an M16, a thousand rounds, at 39.5 cents each. I’m going to be lazy, and figure the military buys bullets at the store. A case would cost $395. And let’s hope Private Smith is a marksman and won’t be wasting the tax dollars.
Let’s figure a guy like Trump, who brags about being super rich, is going to pay for some gunfire. We can assume his taxes will also go to the purchase of a Black Hawk helicopter for $21 million.
That means it’s time for the math. If former President Trump paid…WTF!!! He paid what in 2020???
Zero dollars in federal income taxes! That won’t buy Private Smith one box of bullets! That won’t buy a single round.
No way we’re getting a helicopter.
Private Smith will be lucky to get new underwear!
Two retired educators – and we paid more than the billionaire.
Sonofabitch. My wife and I are retired educators – not billionaires. Or millionaires. We paid $22,034 in federal income taxes in 2020. That’s enough for one private and close to a case of M16 ammunition.
President Trump managed to claim he lost $4.7 million in 2020. So he paid nothing to the government he was running. He didn’t even cover the cost of all the Diet Cokes he was swigging.
Here are Mr. Trump’s numbers for the last five years:
Adjusted gross income Final tax bill after credits, etc.
2020 -4,795,757 0
2019 $4,380,717 $133,455
2018 $24,339,696 $999,466
2017 -12,916,948 $750
2016 -32,409,674 $750
That means my wife and I paid more in taxes three of five years for which we now have the billionaire’s taxes. In Trump’s “worst” year, 2018, he paid 4.1% of his income to the federal government.
In 2018 he got by on 3%.
Here’s irony for you. In 2018, my wife and I paid 15.57%, with our final tax bill coming in at $23,977. We had a good year in 2019. Our income was higher, and that meant we paid $27,004. That year we paid 15.53%.
Trump talks a good game when it comes to patriotism, but no one in his family ever serves in uniform. We know he didn’t serve because he claimed crippling bone spurs.
Now we know his wallet is crippled and his bank account can’t serve either.
When fat cats like Donald get all kinds of tax breaks, which ordinary schlubs like us never can, you figure the U.S. military is going to have to cut back on the bullets, the bombs, the planes, and the privates.
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| Trumps don't serve in uniform. Neither do their wallets. |
