Gaddafi is Dead. Now What?

Muammar Gaddafi is dead. After billions already spent in overseas action in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, the ultimate question is whether the human and economic costs resulting from these military actions have been worth it.

There is one simple fact:  America has not been hit by another terrorist attack since 9/11.  If national security is our nation's number one priority, then we indeed have done our jobs.  Today, we are more safe, more secure, and more confident that a misguided, vengeance-hungry terrorist will not attack us.  However, simply analyzing the benefits of improved national security ignores the reality of the human and economic costs these wars have incurred on military families, and to a broader extent, the United States as a whole.

Today, we are arguably in the middle of one of the largest recessions this young and prosperous country has ever experienced.  Some will argue that this was entirely or substantially caused by the housing crisis that began in 2007-08.  I disagree.  What happened on 9/11 was something more than an iron-clad commitment to fight the bad guys.  It began the eruption of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund military actions overseas. According to the New York Times, the "War on Terror" has cost the United States $3.3 trillion.  Even if we take the "liberal spin" on that number away, the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan group, put the figure closer to a paltry $1.3 trillion. Even if we take the low-end of this figure, this number presumably does not account for the interest and borrowing costs that inevitably occur when financing such an expansive operation.  The point is that we have spent over a trillion (yes that is a "t", and not a "b") to fight these wars.

I have presented these facts for one reason, and that is to make U.S. citizens to start thinking about whether the costs of these actions has actually been worth it.  If your answer is "yes," then you must also accept the premise that the idea of receiving more government protection is a quid pro quo, a trade-off in exchange for a less economically stable economy.  If your answer is "no," then you should vote for the leader or leaders who will be in the best positions to end these military actions.

Please think.