A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America

by Bruce Cannon Gibney

The Bill Infrastructure Near-Term Costs: $3.6 trillion Ongoing Additional Costs: $100 billion Pensions Near-Term Costs: $1 trillion Ongoing Additional Costs: $200 billion Military Near-Term Costs: $800 billion Ongoing Additional Costs: $100 billion Entitlements/Health Care Near-Term Costs: $750 billion Ongoing Additional Costs: $200 billion Climate Near-Term Costs: $1 trillion Ongoing Additional Costs: $150 billion Education/R&D Near-Term Costs: $1.5 trillion Ongoing Additional Costs: $250 billion Extra interest Near-Term Costs: — Ongoing Additional Costs: $170 billion (minimum) Total Near-Term Costs: $8.65 trillion Ongoing Additional Costs: $1.17 trillion Note: “Near-term” means the next few years, a window that reflects both the cheapest time to remediate and also the period in which part of the sum can be collected from the Boomers; it is for those reasons more front-loaded than it could otherwise be. “Ongoing” simply means the additional, unbudgeted expense over the next thirty or so years, at which point certain items like education, pensions, and climate should be in good enough shape that they can be maintained fairly cheaply and we can finally begin repaying part of the national debt.