It occurred to me this morning that nobody has discussed the economic impact of Iraq beyond what it does to the national debt. What would happen — economically speaking — if we were to bring the troops home?
First, up to 158,000 military personnel and perhaps as many as 180,000 contractors would come home. Those that were with the National Guard would return to their home states and go to work. They and their families would then spend their money here in the United States, stimulating the economy.
Second, some of those people would not have jobs to which they could return. Yes, yes, it’s the law that employers must find work for returning servicemen; but the fact is that some of these guys have been gone a long time now, and their employers needed somebody to actually do the work. It’s not fair to the soldier to deny him work, but it’s not fair to fire the new guy who’s actually been doing the job either. While it is a sad fact that some of these brave people face unemployment, some of them will use what they have learned in Iraq to start their own businesses, stimulating the economy.
Third, we would no longer be spending billions of dollars each month — $275 Million every day — to wage war in Iraq. If you are an old-school conservative who believes in things like low deficits and fiscal responsibility, these figures had better make you think long and hard about the war.
Fourth, we would no longer have the ongoing cost — both in terms of VA spending and in human terms — of creating more wounded Iraq War veterans. Not to be cynical, but healthy vets take jobs and not disability checks; this is better for our bottom line, for our communities, and even more importantly for their families.
But what about the Iraqis, you may ask. Well, with our troops and contractors gone, they are no longer a flashpoint for violence. Without our people putting their noses where they do not belong, they will come up with an internal peace plan. And that brings me to the fifth and final way that bringing our troops home will help our economy: with an internal peace plan and no meddling from Western interests, oil production will rise. Rising oil production will result in lower petroleum costs and lower prices at the gas pump.
In closing: an amazing piece by Dennis Sanders on social conservatives; stupid job interview questions aren’t good for anybody and often skate the edge of being illegal; it’s FISA D-Day so call your Senators; two from BondDad; two on Food Stamps; and finally, a suggestion about what to do with your tax rebate check. Read it all to find out Nancy Pelosi’s plan for what happens if this doesn’t work (hint, Benjamin Franklin said that would be crazy).