Oh, bailout, you're our new Sarah Palin. We can't stop talking about you, yet we know so little about you. The president is set to give a televised address about the state of the economy tonight at 9 p.m. EDT — but here's the real question I've been wondering about since the $700 billion figure first popped up: exactly how much is $700 billion anyway?
Well for starters, if you count this double-image pic of gajillionaire Bill Gates as two . . . and then add the other 10 of him in net worth, that's how much $700 billion is: 12 Bill Gateses. That's only a dozen right? Not so many. (?!)
To see the whole dirty dozen of Billy, and more perspective on the figure (including Titanic comparisons) read more.
- The bill for every living soul currently in the US, if everyone were to pay their share? $2,300 per person.
- The sum of everyone's net worth on the Forbes 400 list is twice the cost of the bailout.
- It would take the box office equivalent of 381 Titanics to reach $700 billion.
- Florida's gross domestic product would cover the tab.
- Though looking forward, if nothing is done to fix Social Security, in 75 years the shortfall of $4.3 trillion will be the cost of six bailouts.
So $700 billion: it's pocket change really. It's all in your perspective — right Bill?
Rizzo
Moschino
Paul & Joe
As Josh once said on the West Wing, "A billion here a billion there, pretty soon it ads up to real money."
1Just curious, how much does that compare to how much the war in IRaq has cost?
2The cost of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (through this fiscal year's requests) is $820 billion.
3So more. To date. Plus Afghanistan.
4Thanks for the quick response Citizen!
5"So more. To date. Plus Afghanistan."
Love it. What is that reminding me of? Something from West Wing maybe.
6Have you ever been walking around a city and it starts to drizzle, then rain, then it becomes a total downpour and suddenly people are trying to sell you $5 umbrellas for $50...
I'm just saying, if you're already soaked maybe you should stop and think before you make that impulse buy.
7Yes, I was thinking of when CJ gets hired for the Bartlet campaign.
TOBY
I'm here on instructions from Leo McGarry.
C.J.
McGarry wants me.
TOBY
Yes. Come join the campaign.
C.J.
How much does it pay?
TOBY
How much were you making before?
C.J.
$550,000 a year.
TOBY
This pays $600 a week.
C.J.
So this would be less.
TOBY
Yes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CMHveUO52Y
8Oh, and I only asked about the war in Iraq and not the combined cost of the war in both countries because I think the war in Iraq was unjustified and wasteful (among other things) whereas I think the war in Afghanistan is justified.
9i'm watching bush right now and i think that he's trying to reassure us and only recently have intelligent things started to come out of his mouth.
i like that he just said that 'he believes that companies that make bad decisions deserve to go out of business - which is what i feel but he also sees that the entire system is suffering because of this and he's only taking action to try to stave off failing banks everywhere....
at least he's acknowledging that there's going to be a LOT of frustration on the part of those americans who are doing the right thing!
10I heard on CNN that every minute it racks up a million in interest!
11I don't really care what Bush has to say about anything at this point. Course I can't stand the way he talks either.
This whole thing is just astounding. It's hard to comprehend THAT much money. GO Capitalism!
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