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No. The direct cost at $10 billion a year might be $1T over 100 years. The opportunity cost, which is what I was talking about, is not $1T.

If you want to factor in opportunity cost you have to think of it like compound interest. $10 billion invested today could have a $1T payoff on its own over 100 years.

Inflation alone would make $10 billion in 1920 worth $128 billion today. And inflation doesn't account for any efficiency increases you can gain over time if you had invested the money otherwise.



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