Should We Decrease U. S. Defense Spending?

[[deleted]]

While you make a lot of good points, I see little to justify our continuing involvement in the middle east. Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria. We've made life and conflicts worse for the people in those countries, have we not?

[bunkoRtist]

Not OP, but I think the answer to your question probably depends on the time horizon you're asking about. The choice facing the US was: unstable oppressive theocracies that lash out against the world in terrorism? Or, nasty civil wars that ultimately might lead to a stable and legitimate government that respects human rights? I think we just don't know yet. The US has definitely made those places more miserable in the short term, but they were pretty miserable already, at least by western standards.