The Cost of War

The human, emotional, and financial tolls are staggering. The collective wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1.5 trillion since Sept. 11, 2001, according to a recent Defense Department report. Nearly 7,000 U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense civilians lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Approximately 370,000 non-American people have been killed by direct war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan according to the Watson Institute at Brown University. Hundreds of thousands more people from all sides have been wounded in combat or have died indirectly as a result of injuries sustained in the war zones.

With this information in mind and more, we’re excited to welcome Angela Keaton, executive director of Antiwar.com, all the way from Los Angeles and Austin native Scott Horton, author and managing director of The Libertarian Institute, for a discussion on the costs of war. These two have collaborated on news and public affairs broadcasting since 1999, so their dynamic energy and expertise on this topic is unparalleled.

We’ll meet at Infinite Monkey Theorum and have the side space reserved. Drinks and snacks on us!

More about our speakers:

Angela Keaton is the executive director of Antiwar.com. Keaton has been with Antiwar.com since 2008 and is now expanding her portfolio from her previous positions of development director and director of operations to focus on our long term vision of ending militarism, war and torture. Keaton was station manager of the controversial KOOP 91.7 FM in Austin Texas. She also served on the Libertarian National Committee where she spearheaded action to retain the traditional libertarian stance against war.

Keaton, a second generation libertarian, has an MA and JD from the University of Florida. In addition to her extensive duties at Antiwar.com, she is a legal researcher at a West Hollywood based law firm, worked as a script doctor on audio books and ghost written materials on such eclectic areas from voting rights to celebrity gossip. She plans to use her diverse background to continue building non-partisan alliances against state sponsored mass murder.

Scott Horton is the author of Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan, managing director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of Antiwar Radio on Pacifica, 90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles and podcasts the Scott Horton Show from ScottHorton.org.

He previously hosted shows on Free Radio Austin, 97.1 FM, KAOS Radio 95.9 and 92.7 FM and was also formerly co-host of the KOOP Evening News on KOOP 91.7 FM.

In 2007, he won the Austin Chronicle‘s “Best of Austin” award for his Iraq war coverage on Antiwar Radio. He’s conducted more than 4,800 interviews since 2003.