http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/threetrilliondollarwar.jpg this is only iraq. we have to assume an equal amount for Afghanistan. where would we be had bush not wasted 6 trillion of our national wealth?
There's no accounting in there for the value of having seasoned troops near our resources. Keeping the residents' paws off of them no doubt keeps our [input costs] lower.
not too sure about that. what was the price of oil in 2001 before bush cranked up the war machine? what is it now? http://www.ioga.com/Special/crudeoil_Hist.htm
Hmm...lets look at this according to the chart you linked... When Bush won the election in 2000 the price of oil was $31.16(adjusted for inflation to 2009 $38.44 according to GOVERNMENT inflation numbers) When Bush officially left office in January of 2009, oil was $33.07, so adjusted for inflation oil prices actually went down under Bush. Now lets look under Obama. Oil was 33.07 when he took office and today its $90 only 2 years later. Thats almost a 200% increase in 2 years. This increase is during Obamas presidency after pulling troops out of iraq, the price of oil just keeps going up.
wtf. 2001 Average $23.00 2002 Average $22.81 2003 Average $27.69 2004 Average $37.41 2005 Average* $50.04/$49.81 2006 Average $58.30 2007 Average $64.20 2008 Average $91.48 2009 Average $53.56/$53.48 2010 Average $71.21 any possibility you can detect a trend there? i would assume that if you took the time to think about it you too would come to the conclusion that going into iraq did not help us stabilize the price of oil which is the point i made.
The point I'm getting at, Rover, is that despite the vagaries of supply and demand and price, our presence at least guarantees that another nation state can't simply walk in and take control of our resources. That's worth something you gotta figure into your ROI. : )