2012 Poll

[Danzig]

people lament the economy (and i agree, the pres doesn't have much affect over all) but i can't help but wonder how much our problems come from those two stupid, ill advised wars? spending went thru the roof, as did the deficit. the deficit has a correlary effect on the economy. our foreign policy has been a mess for years, decades even. afganistan was our number one recipient of foreign aid for years. we supported iraq vs iran...hindsight of course is 20-20. we should never had invaded either country, we shouldn't be there now, all these years and billions and lives later. clinton perhaps should have done more, bush should have waited for calm before deciding what to do after 9-11, instead of the visceral off with their heads response. what is past is prologue.... and this story sucks.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i can't help but wonder how much our problems come from those two stupid, ill advised wars? spending went thru the roof, as did the deficit. the deficit has a correlary effect on the economy. our foreign policy has been a mess for years, decades even. afganistan was our number one recipient of foreign aid for years. we supported iraq vs iran...hindsight of course is 20-20. we should never had invaded either country, we shouldn't be there now, all these years and billions and lives later.

Yep, all of this is 100% true. And the point you make about the government's debt having an effect on the economy is quite correct. I just think some people (not you) seem to think that Bush "spending a lot of money," and Obama "spending a lot of money" is what caused the economy to tank. That is nonsense.
Was the war in Iraq a poor decision fiscally for the United States? Yes. I hate that war as much as anyone and opposed it from the outset....but it didn't cause the housing bubble to burst, unemployment to skyrocket etc. Either did the stimulus, as I know you know.