war in iraq

Bush didn't put us in this war. Al Queda brought this war to us on 9-11-2001. It is better to fight them on forging soil than on our home soil. Less loss of citizens that way.

Iraq is primarily a follow up to the gulf war. Saddam did not obied by the terms and conditions of his surrender. Had he complied with the terms of the surrender we would not have had the just cause to enforce those terms and thus not taken the action we did.

Since we are there the Islamic terrorists have decided to engage us there, and in Afghanistan, rather than try to do so on US soil. In Iraq there is also the expected struggle for power after removing Saddam. The religious factions are fighting with each other while we try to rebuild what we destroyed in the war. It is our obligation to leave the country in as stable a condition as we can since we removed the dictator which controlled it before.

The domestic issues you bring up are valid issues that need addressed but not helping them is not due to the war. If we as a society wanted to help them it could be done, but the law makers that control the purse strings have a codependent existence with those that need help. Those that need help look to those in power to help them, those in power use those in need as pawns to gain power by promising to help but then don't.

There have been many years in the past 30 where we were not at war and the law makers could have acted to fund help, but they haven't. They may fund a little to say they are trying, but not enough to actually help.

Look at the war funding budget that set a time line to get out of Iraq. It has millions in non-war related spending packed into it. If that extra was spent on helping those in need it could greatly reduce the numbers of those in need, but instead it was budgeted on pet projects or to aid those that helped get the law makers into office.