--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The president kept returning also to the…" description: "\"“The president kept returning also to the matter of cost. He observed that the cost of the additional troops McChrystal was requesting would be about $..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/robert-m-gates-2972_spending_the-president-kept-returning-also-to-the_1407532.png" --- # The president kept returning also to the matter of cost… ![“The president kept returning also to the matter of cost. He observed that the cost of the additional troops McChrystal was requesting would be about $30 billion; yet if he froze all domestic discretionary spending, he would save only $5 billion, and if he cut the same by 5 percent, that would save…” quote by Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/robert-m-gates-2972_spending_the-president-kept-returning-also-to-the_1407532.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/robert-m-gates-2972_spending_the-president-kept-returning-also-to-the_1407532.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/robert-m-gates-2972_spending_the-president-kept-returning-also-to-the_1407532.png) > ““The president kept returning also to the matter of cost. He observed that the cost of the additional troops McChrystal was requesting would be about $30 billion; yet if he froze all domestic discretionary spending, he would save only $5 billion, and if he cut the same by 5 percent, that would save only $10 billion. He said that if the war continued “another eight to ten years, it would cost $800 billion,” and the nation could not afford that given needs at home. His argument was hard to disagree with. The costs of the war were staggering.”” [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The war’s cost far exceeds domestic savings, making it unsustainable. **In simple terms:** War costs huge; domestic cuts small. Key Takeaway Prioritize fiscal sustainability over endless war. Themes economics policy war budget Mood critical serious Type analytical policy‑oriented When to use this quote - government budgeting - military planning - public debate - budget hearings Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to reduce war costs? - How can domestic priorities be balanced? A Different Perspective Political constraints may limit budget cuts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Costs War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/costs-war-367517/) [Disagree Costs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree-costs-4236081/) [Mcchrystal Requesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mcchrystal-requesting-4951424/) [Spending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spending/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [War Continued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-continued-4951423/) ## Related quotes > [“We had seen too many horrors already, and we could see and hear more explosions all around us as the war continued, very close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/we-had-seen-too-many-horrors-already-and-we-could-see-and-hear-more/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [I don't want to be surrounded by 'yes men'. I want people who'll disagree with me, even if it costs them their jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-don-t-want-to-be-surrounded-by-yes-men-i-want-people-who-ll/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [For instance, one of the costs of the war is that soldiers today get very seriously injured but stay alive, and we can keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/for-instance-one-of-the-costs-of-the-war-is-that-soldiers-today-get/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [We can no longer afford the war in Iraq. Our financial costs have already passed a third of a trillion dollars; the lifetime costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blumenauer/we-can-no-longer-afford-the-war-in-iraq-our-financial-costs-have/) [Earl Blumenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blumenauer/) > [Society can give its young men almost any job and they'll figure how to do it. They'll suffer for it and die for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/society-can-give-its-young-men-almost-any-job-and-they-ll-figure-how/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [The genius of America's endless war machine is that, learning from the unpleasantness of the Vietnam war protests, it has rendered the costs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-genius-of-america-s-endless-war-machine-is-that-learning-from-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Never counted in the "costs" of war are the dead birds, the charred animals the murdered fish, incinerated insects, poisoned water sources, destroyed vegetation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/never-counted-in-the-costs-of-war-are-the-dead-birds-the-charred/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Marx was wrong: It is not only the 'means of production' that shape societies, but the means of destruction. In our own time, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/marx-was-wrong-it-is-not-only-the-means-of-production-that-shape/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [“The threat of nuclear holocaust fosters pacifism; when pacifism spreads, war recedes and trade flourishes; and trade increases both the profits of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-threat-of-nuclear-holocaust-fosters-pacifism-when-pacifism/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [There's all these costs of war, and they're huge and long-lasting. It's not just the numbers CNN broadcasts. And we never want to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-granik/there-s-all-these-costs-of-war-and-they-re-huge-and-long-lasting-it-s/) [Debra Granik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-granik/) > [One of the real costs of the war is that our security is actually less than it otherwise would have been - ironic, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/one-of-the-real-costs-of-the-war-is-that-our-security-is-actually/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [“Let us leave in suspension such debates about the economic costs of the War and look at another kind of cost, a kind more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/let-us-leave-in-suspension-such-debates-about-the-economic-costs-of/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In fact, my main conclusion after spending ten years of my life working on the TEX project is that software is hard. It's harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/in-fact-my-main-conclusion-after-spending-ten-years-of-my-life/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) ## More by Robert M. Gates > [And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/and-so-the-greatest-of-american-triumphs-became-a-peculiarly-joyless/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Obama answered, “Yes. I’m no peacenik.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/obama-answered-yes-i-m-no-peacenik/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“I was seething. I told him that “the clock is ticking” and that our patience with their lack of political progress was running out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-was-seething-i-told-him-that-the-clock-is-ticking-and-that-our/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [Some people have said, in so many words, that I'm kind of wooly-headed in believing that the Iranians would see not having nuclear weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/some-people-have-said-in-so-many-words-that-i-m-kind-of-wooly-headed/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Obama was the fourth president I had worked for who said outright that he wanted to eliminate all nuclear weapons (Carter, Reagan, and Bush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/obama-was-the-fourth-president-i-had-worked-for-who-said-outright/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I had no concerns - I had no reason to have concerns based on what was available to me about North's contacts with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-had-no-concerns-i-had-no-reason-to-have-concerns-based-on-what-was/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/health-care-costs-are-eating-the-defense-department-alive/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“The passage of fourteen years had led to another significant change in the international environment. As I told Bush 43 and Condi Rice on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-passage-of-fourteen-years-had-led-to-another-significant-change/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I've been very sensitive for a long time to the repeated pattern, during economic hard times or after a war, of the United States'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-ve-been-very-sensitive-for-a-long-time-to-the-repeated-pattern/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I don't know General Michael Flynn well, but it's hard for me to believe anybody would allow themselves to be blackmailed by the Russians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-don-t-know-general-michael-flynn-well-but-it-s-hard-for-me-to/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I had no difficulty as Secretary of Defense moving from the Bush administration to the Obama administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-had-no-difficulty-as-secretary-of-defense-moving-from-the-bush/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [The United States has been a global power since late in the 19th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-united-states-has-been-a-global-power-since-late-in-the-19th/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [My one concern is that Hu Jintao may overestimate how much power China has in Pyongyang. They have - they do have influence, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/my-one-concern-is-that-hu-jintao-may-overestimate-how-much-power/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“I thought you were my friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-thought-you-were-my-friend/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Soon after the raid was over, the White House released the now-famous photo of all of us watching the video in that small conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/soon-after-the-raid-was-over-the-white-house-released-the-now-famous/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) [Explore all 143 Robert M. Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) ## More Spending quotes > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [The greatest charity you can contribute to is yourself. Instead of spending a dollar to help feed hungry children, why not spend that dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-greatest-charity-you-can-contribute-to-is-yourself-instead-of/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [...I have to tell you that I'm not all that comfortable with the idea of spending the rest of my life sleeping next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/i-have-to-tell-you-that-i-m-not-all-that-comfortable-with-the-idea-of/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I hate spending money, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-gauff/i-hate-spending-money-to-be-honest/) [Coco Gauff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-gauff/) > [ The only way you can do that \[decrease taxes, balance the budget, and increase military spending\] is with mirrors… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-anderson/the-only-way-you-can-do-that-decrease-taxes-balance-the-budget-and/) [John B. 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Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [We're failing when it comes to controlling spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/we-re-failing-when-it-comes-to-controlling-spending/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 2,396 Spending quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spending/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The president kept returning also to the matter of cost. He observed that the cost of the additional troops McChrystal was requesting would be about $30 billion; yet if he froze all domestic discretionary spending, he would save only $5 billion, and if he cut the same by 5 percent, that would save only $10 billion. He said that if the war continued “another eight to ten years, it would cost $800 billion,” and the nation could not afford that given needs at home. His argument was hard to disagree with. 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