Robert Samuelson Underestimates the Cost of War

Robert Samuelson used his column today to dismiss the idea that the nation could be "war weary." He correctly notes that a relatively small segment of the population has either served in recent wars or has close relatives who served. However his discussion of the costs is misleading.

He tells readers:

"From 2001 to 2012, federal spending totaled $33.3 trillion; the wars were 4 percent of that. Over the same period, the American economy produced $163 trillion of goods and services. War spendi...