Solyndra's Loan Guarantee vs. Military Boondoggles

Solyndra’s Loan Guarantee vs. Military Boondoggles

A little perspective

Eric Wesoff September 16, 2011

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

How much have we spent on military ventures?

Protecting oil in the Gulf States?

How much graft went to Blackwater or Halliburton during our misadventures in Iraq?

Now that the Solyndra debacle has made it to the The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart offering a pretty good take on the situation, let's put it into perspective.

Or actually, a picture, in this case -- a chart is worth a thousand words. (Thanks to Philip Bump for the chart.)