Pest control people say the house is riddled with termites. "We know where they are", they say, "and if you don't get them now they will spread throughout the rest of the house, garage, kids playhouse and rest of the neighborhood!"

Now the County Building Inspector hasn't been able to find termites. The contractor assures you that "the absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence", even though it would seem to be a good start. Says that he doesn't want you to have to worry about carpenter ants, either, as they are even worse, terrible things which would chew their way through the bed as you slept, even.

Contractor gives an estimate of $5,000, and says that the house will be better than new if it needs the work. Contractor mobilizes a large work force, decides that the County Building Inspector is derelict in his duties, and goes in.

Cuts through walls, breaks water mains, cuts wires, tears out foundations, no termites. The contractor now says that the house needed rebuilding anyway, rotten house, and that he needs to keep going even though he hasn't found anything.

By now the cost is up to $100,000 even with no termites or carpenter ants. But he's gonna make the house more stable.

Contractor keeps cutting, hacking, sawing, sending in even more and more workers. House becomes even more unstable. Termites and carpenter ants now move into the weakened structure, where they weren't before.

4 years later the cost is up to $1,000,000, and the contractor demands payment in full every month. After all, the workers have to eat. And the house is in worse, far worse, condition than when the contractor started. Torn up, now infested, getting worse by the day. No chance of stability now. If the contractor stops, the house will collapse. And if he keeps on it will collapse.

At what point would you say,

"I committed myself to $5,000 IF something needed to be done. It didn't, and somehow I'm up to $1,000,000 and looking at a bill of $2,000,000 before you're done, AND the house will be gone anyway. I'm spending my children's and grandchildren's inheritance and not doing anything but making the contractor rich. This isn't that to which I agreed. I need to cut my losses."

The US bought a cheap war, it's turned out to be an expensive losing proposition. The US people trusted a crooked contractor. Anyone with a brain in their head would cut their losses.

Arf