One year ago, the Iraq war and terrorism dominated the campaign for President. It was Obama's opposition to the war?

One year ago, the Iraq war and terrorism dominated the campaign for President. It was Obama's opposition to the war that propelled him to the nomination, and it was McCain's National Security Credentials that propelled him to his party's nomination. Today the economy is deteriorating so quickly and dramatically that it is overtaking all other issues, and causing the candidates to re-think proposals they have been making for months.Is there a relationship between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, and the deteriorating state of the U.S. economy, and if so, what is it?

Asked by Curious2135 41 months ago Similar questions: year ago Iraq war terrorism dominated campaign President Obama's opposition Politics & Law > Politics.

Similar questions: year ago Iraq war terrorism dominated campaign President Obama's opposition.

Yes there is, but it is very complex Yes, all activity in the world is interlinked, and these themes are of course also very much interlinked. However, how they affect each-other is a difficult one, as its affects go multiple ways. The fact that the US government is spending billions of dollars on wars has a positive effect on the economy, as these spendings all go to mostly US companies.In this way, the expenditure of the US government is a great stimulus for the US economy.

On the other hand, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had three major negative effects too: - Oil prices have soared to hights never imagined ten years ago. This has a tremendous effect on production costs, as almost all production efforts use oil in one way or other. - Dollar erosion: Because of the US budget deficit (and other reasons), the US dollar has decreased in value dramatically.

This has affected US economy already, and will definitely continue to do so, as the dollar remains as low in value as it currently is. - consumer spending is dropping: Because of the unstable world situation, customers tend to keep their money in their pockets, to see where things are going. Customers are les prone to loan money for big spendings, especially houses.

As customers are the biggest spenders in the economy, a buying stop by them will definitely hurt economy a lot. This is just part of the story, there are many more influences on both economy and the war-situation, but it already shows that there is no simple answer to your question, and even economists tend to disagree on which influence will have the biggest impact. I hope this somewhat clarifies things...

It's the chickens come home to roost. If there is a common thread here it is that many things have been left to fester for several decades. Everyone saw these issues coming but no one has done anything to plug the holes in the ship of state.

A few examples; Terrorism - This has been building for the past thirty years. I count 22 separate attacks on US interests since 1983. The U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the cruise liner Achille Lauro, two separate attacks on Twa flights and one on Pan Am, the first World Trade Center bombing, bombing of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the USS Cole, and 9/11.

These attacks went virtually unpunished which led the terrorist to believe they attack us with impunity. 9/11 was the tipping point. Housing prices have been rising forever.

But for the past 20 years they have been rising much faster. Also interest rates have been relatively low since the 80s. More people bought homes.

Housing prices rose faster. Real estate investing became very lucrative. Prices rose even faster.

Sub Prime mortgages made it easier to buy bigger more expensive houses for both home owners and investors Every one bought. Everyone that could afford a house had one, everyone that wanted to invest had one. The demand leveled off.

Then the mortgage adjustment for the Sub Prime mortgages hit. The tipping point. All these people needed to sell.

The demand wasn’t there and the supply was too big. Prices began dropping and the bubble burst. Back in the 70s the oil embargo alerted everyone in the US that we had a problem with energy, Specifically oil.

We were importing about 25% - 30% of our oil and the embargo hit us hard. Everyone was screaming about alternatives. We began looking and haven’t stopped.

But the embargo ended and oil went back to $20/barrel. The heat came off and our attention drifted. Behind the scenes, research continued in Wind, Solar, Atomic, and many others.

They just couldn’t compete financially with oil. Fast forward to today. We are importing 60% of our daily use.

We spent $331 Billion on foreign oil last year. The World demand for oil has reached the level of the existing supply. Most Countries have already tapped their reserves either on land or sea.

There are few places left to find new supplies and the existing supplies are on the downside of the curve. If you are betting on the price of oil your betting that it will go up. The only country that has the capability to bring new as yet untapped resources to the picture refuses to allow it to happen.

China increased their consumption this year by 18%. The tipping point. The price of oil skyrockets.

These things are related in a financial sense but the root causes are different and foreseeable. The primaries were conducted while the housing bubble looked like it might resolve itself. The gas prices were not yet at the tipping point.

That left the war and it was arguable as to whether we were winning, losing, or stagnated. Now however, it looks like we are winning. The news from Iraq is not so bad so it doesn’t get much coverage.

The old newspaper adage ’bad news is great news, good news is no news’. The gas crunch has reopened the mortgage problem with people having to choose between gas and payments. This additional weight on the mortgage industry is directly responsible for the Freddie/Fannie problem.

And it adds another layer to worry about. Also the trade imbalance has escalated dramatically in the past few years with the rise in the price of oil. The $331 Billion in oil imports has had a disastrous affect on the value of the dollar.As the dollar sinks in value the price of oil goes up.

A vicious cycle. Most of this is a normal business cycle. The market goes up then it goes down.

The economy speeds up then it slows down. The monkey wrench in this one is oil. Normally we sit back watch the news and then turn to the latest reality TV show, all the time assuming that Washington is looking at these cycles with plans to take corrective action.

We are always wrong, but the cycle reverses and we all assume it’s fixed til the next cycle. The oil problem won’t fix itself and it is exacerbating all the other problems. I believe that most of the public is beginning to realize this and is calling for action from congress.

This is our second warning. OPEC bailed us out the first time back in the 70s. OPEC won’t be able to do it this time.

We must bail ourselves out of this one. AND, we need to take the warning seriously this time.30 years is not much time to reaseach and find an alternative to oil. We need a little more time.

We have the reserves to buy us that time. Let’s not waste it..

An interesting fact has been resurrected About 10 years ago, when oil cost about $11/barrel, Osama bin Laden said that oil should cost $144/barrel. Mission accomplished, thanks to help from the Bush Administration. Uncertainty about supply, not a shortage of oil, has driven speculators to bid up the price of oil on the world market, with the Iraq war and generally poor relations with many oil producing regions.

The Administration's war threats over Iran have by some estimates added $40 to the cost of a barrel of oil. . Then we have the doubling of the national debt over the past 7 1/2 years, borrowing to pay for huge growth of government, the war in Iraq and Homeland Security, and tax breaks for the rich and for businesses.

Made bold by excessive deregulation and lack of oversight, businesses have run rampant and so we have Enron, the subprime mess, and bank meltdowns. Massive trade deficits have continued unchecked. So no wonder the dollar is sinking so low.. So yes, it is all tied together, not any one thing but a perfect storm of incompetence, poor judgement and negligence..

1 It makes a nice package to tie the economy to the war and say it is all the President's fault. However, many of the economic factors are those that follow cycles and it is time for them to go down. The price of oil is at a historic high and that is not a cycle, but the end of an era.

Transisions are usually expensive. So it is up to the political propagandist to make the most of these events even if there is little they can do now. Had we done the right thing when Carter was President we would be OK now.But... we did not.

President Reagan truned off the plant to make oil from coal and took the solar energy unit out of the White House. As for the war, we are divided and there is little chance that many will change their minds. But even as a mistake we have made gains and need to make the most of what we have.

Both candidates have said that they will do that.

It makes a nice package to tie the economy to the war and say it is all the President's fault. However, many of the economic factors are those that follow cycles and it is time for them to go down. The price of oil is at a historic high and that is not a cycle, but the end of an era.

Transisions are usually expensive. So it is up to the political propagandist to make the most of these events even if there is little they can do now. Had we done the right thing when Carter was President we would be OK now.But... we did not.

President Reagan truned off the plant to make oil from coal and took the solar energy unit out of the White House. As for the war, we are divided and there is little chance that many will change their minds. But even as a mistake we have made gains and need to make the most of what we have.

Both candidates have said that they will do that.

PamPerdue replied to post #1: 2 I agree with Gary. A few trillion spent on the war isn't helping, but the economic crunch is mostly business-cycle stuff. The President made mistakes, Congress made mistakes, individual consumers made mistakes, corporations made mistakes.

There's plenty of blame for it, going back decades.

I agree with Gary. A few trillion spent on the war isn't helping, but the economic crunch is mostly business-cycle stuff. The President made mistakes, Congress made mistakes, individual consumers made mistakes, corporations made mistakes.

There's plenty of blame for it, going back decades.

" "EVERYONE! **A real view on the War in Iraq on Terrorism/America. What do you think?

EVERYONE! **A real view on the War in Iraq on Terrorism/America. What do you think?

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.