Should the US have done nothing after 9-11?

Question

After 911, the US had the whole world on their side. If they did the christian thing and "turned the other cheek" the support for terrorists would have dwindled.

For the cost of the war, they could have rekitted every car manufacturer and power plant to produce cars and power that were not oil dependant. This would have destroyed the middle east's economy and sent it back to pre 1900 where its morals are. This idea was suggested by quite a few people before the US and it's allies went to war.

Instead the little 911 attack triggered the US to take the Catholic response and launch a crusade. This has done more damage to the US than any terrorist attack. It has destroyed the reputation of the US, cost more US lives than terrorism, turned large parts of the world against the US and cost the US taxpayer more than what they can pay.

Should the US look at complete withdrawal and go back to option A?

Josh · Accepted Answer

Afganistan was a matter the US had to take care of in response....Iraq was a joke.....The US should have withdrawn from the world and become a strong yet non-empire minded power. But doing so would have been such a reverse in foreign policy and would have given "victory" to the terrorist. Such move would have been a blow to GW Bush's popularity...

Texas · Answer

I agree we should elect some different folks that will take a different approach.  Unfortunately we haven't seen Ron Paul rise up that we may have a leader that will surely pull us out of middle east conflict.

You are however missing some important elements; when it comes to the burden borne by the taxpayer, military spending only factors about 24%.  A more significant portion of the budget is for health care and pensions, or more specifically Medicare and Social Security.  Age demographics are such that the average age is increasing, and a greater proportion of baby boomers will retire in the next 15 years, and this is more financial challenge than war.  The general problem is to plan to spend money now that our grandchildren will repay with interest.  The solution is to have government do less and spend less.

Needful Sinner · Answer

There is always it seems, a 'reason' for war... while some countries go decades and decades without.  I'm not from the US so I can't pressume to know why the difference.

American War of Independence
Northwest Indian War
Franco-American War
Barbary Coast War
Tecumseh's Rebellion
War of 1812
Algerian War
First Seminole War
West Indies Naval Campaign
Le Fèvre Indian War
Black Hawk Campaign
Second Seminole War
Mexican-American War
Navajo Wars
Cayuse War
Apache Wars
Third Seminole War
US Civil War
Sioux War
Comanche War
Little Big Horn Campaign
Cheyenne War
Spanish-America War
Philippine–American War
The Boxer Rebellion
Nicaraguan Campaign
Pancho Villa Expedition/Mexican Revolution
Haitian Campaign
Dominican Campaign
First World War
Second World War
Cold War
Korean War
Vietnam War
Bay of Pigs
Invasion of Grenada
Invasion of Panama
Persian Gulf War
Somali Civil War
Kosovo War
Iraq War
Afghanistan War

Mark F · Answer

We should have treated 9/11 as what it was, a criminal matter, not an excuse to invade foreign countries.

Eddie · Answer

Agreed, we would have the best economy in the world right now.

Daver · Answer

Don't know dick about politics, government, civics, foreign policy, common sense, those sorts of things. . .do you?

Gladys Friday · Answer

It is a case of `Your damned if you do, and damned if you don`t ` 
 History will be the judge

The Doctor · Answer

the japanese learned something after pearl harbor.
now the muslims know something they didn't know before.

Archie · Answer

9/11 was planned, it was done so they could invade terrorist country and take their oil. It was set up by the government and ****.

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Should the US have done nothing after 9-11?

9 Answers