The economic costs of war in Iraq

With the Iraq War finally over, it is time to take account. Whether you supported the War or not on principle, it is worth noting that the Iraq War’s costs to the US economy were not trivial. The latest estimate is that the War added $1 trillion to the US debt. I would expect that number to rise as the costs of caring for vets is still to come.

Also worth noting is that the US unemployment rate was a mere 5.9% back in March of 2003 (the month the war started). Notably, the onset of the Iraq War ushered in an era of dramatic increases in overall federal spending and debt.

So, am I saying that the Iraq War led us to our current economic condition? No, not by itself, but conservatives need to realize that war is a government program and an expensive one at that.