10-15-2011, 03:24 PM
Assuming Congress would not have changed?
9/11...yes. Vague hints and conspiracies aside, that one was under everybody's radar.
Afghanistan invasion...probably.
Iraq invasion...no. That was purely Bush administration driven.
After that, very difficult to say.
Iraq is the big variable. The deficits and the political divisions within the country it caused are tremendous.
Our deficit would have been much smaller, making it easier to maneuver through the recession, and reduce the blowback that resulted in the Tea Party.
Our reputation world-wide would be better, though not sure what that really means in day to day terms.
OTOH, the reduction in government spending from not prosecuting th Iraq war might have blunted the boom of 2004-2006 somewhat.
9/11...yes. Vague hints and conspiracies aside, that one was under everybody's radar.
Afghanistan invasion...probably.
Iraq invasion...no. That was purely Bush administration driven.
After that, very difficult to say.
Iraq is the big variable. The deficits and the political divisions within the country it caused are tremendous.
Our deficit would have been much smaller, making it easier to maneuver through the recession, and reduce the blowback that resulted in the Tea Party.
Our reputation world-wide would be better, though not sure what that really means in day to day terms.
OTOH, the reduction in government spending from not prosecuting th Iraq war might have blunted the boom of 2004-2006 somewhat.