Get ready to gag a little bit. Since 9/11, the U.S has spent a mind-boggling amount of money on fighting wars in the Middle East.
Over $4 trillion down the drain and we have almost nothing to show for it. The Taliban is stronger than ever, Al Qaeda is still thriving, and the world’s crazies are infected with ISIS ideology.
Was it worth it? A lot of Americans say no. People are struggling to keep food on the table and send their kids to college. The money that’s being poured into endless wars could have been used to change the life of every citizen in the country. For that matter, we could have given every illegal immigrant an education and advanced job training.
According to the New York Post, a “ report by Watson Institute at Brown University said conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria have cost $4.3 trillion and could reach $5.6 trillion by the end of 2018. The total cost for an individual taxpayer over this period was estimated at $23,386…”
The wars were previously managed by George Bush Jr., whose name has become synonymous with incompetence, and Barack Obama, who shied away from tough assaults. President Trump will likely do better than his predecessors. The sooner the conflict ends, the less America will have to spend.
Trump’s attention has been caught by ISIS, so he hasn’t said much publicly about his plans for Afghanistan. Congress recently approved a $700 billion budget for the military.
America’s military is the best in the world. That might still be true if its budget shrank.
(Source: New York Post)