Is the economy the reason that Obama is reluctant to stop the wars?

[oldlib]

Will the economy be negatively impacted if Obama brings the troops home? I'm trying to find a rationale for his hesitation in stopping the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[timeforpeace]

1. Escalation of the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Yemen is not "hesitation in stopping". As

Helen Thomas just said, Obama has a foreign policy and it's called war.

[Mari333]

2. the wars are what is destroying the economy

so it would behoove him to end both occupations. A lot of bought and paid for Corporate politicians want to keep these 2 occupations going, because it is all about MONEY. and that money ends up in their pockets.
He listens to them, not us.

[polichick]

3. The military industrial complex depends on wars for its existence...

Arms are one of the few things this country manufactures anymore - fake wars prop up these industries at taxpayer expense and trade lives for money.

Woo-hoo, God bless America!

[whattheidonot]

4. in short run

it may in the short run but not in the long run. It would free up lots of funds. The war would have to be fought in a totally different way, with great information gathering and checks at the borders , changes in all kinds of polices. This would be hard to push for and the government may not be ready on this front. the middle independents favor the war thing and that tilts the balance.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I doubt it has to do with the wars but it definitly has......

everything to do with his not freezing the pentagons budget.

[Cant trust em]

6. Troops are coming home from Iraq.

Aren't we still on target to have all combat troops out of there by August of this year?

[Mari333]

8. and being sent right over to afghanistan..and 50,000 troops will stay in iraq

permanently. to secure the oil company contracts, because that is what this was really all about.

and dont forget the thousands and thousands of mercenaries we pay for in both places with our tax dollars.

[zipplewrath]

9. Not really

They are leaving Iraq and going to Afghanistan.

[Cant trust em]

11. Even with that admission, the Iraq war is still coming to an end. nt

[zipplewrath]

12. We'll see

He is still promising to keep 50K+ in there for "training and support" purposes. He's only promising to get out the "combat" troops.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. So all he would have to do (in principle) is end the wars and

put the money into rebuilding America. Demob the military & give them jobs building infrastructure, paying them the same wages they would have gotten in Godforsakistan.

[zipplewrath]

10. No

He is reluctant because he is afraid he will allow a rapid return of both Al Queada and the Taliban to their former places. I think there is a huge span between doing what we are doing, and doing nothing, that doesn't involve having 100K+ troops deployed. But that's the primary advice he's being given.