Is the war in the mid-east worth it? Depends on who you ask? It certainly is for the Chinese who have been the major benefactor of this war.
If we look at history, we find many, many examples of empires (in America's case we call it a super power, sounds better.) Many of them, though not all, went belly up on trying to make 'just one more expansion) Due to technology at the time, geography, the various cultures of the people and the overall will of the people in the home country of the empire to remain aggressive, there is a limit on how big a particular empire can get before caving in. Napoleon and Hitler failed when they went too far and tried to take Moscow. Hitler compounded that mistake by also getting in a war with America. I'll not give more examples here. You get the picture.
Also when an empire collapses there is another power willing and able to fill the vacuum. Britain was already a world power when Napoleon came along. After Napoleon Britain was the head of the largest empire in history and was without a doubt the super power of the 19th century.
In the case of Hitler, before his empire collapsed he bled the British Empire almost dry. Only America and the rest of the British Empire saved Great Britain itself from collapsing. When Hitler made the mistake of taking on not only Russia, but the United States as well, his fate was sealed. And who was the benefactor of the collapse of the Third Reich Empire, The United States.
From the ashes of the Third Reich came the Anglo-American Empire. The colonies of the British Empire gained their independence and for all practical purposes the The United Kingdom and nations with the Queen as head of state and the United States became joined at the hip as far as foreign policy goes. Since 1945 the Anglo-American Empire has run the show especially after the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Vietnam and a few other examples are there were there wasn't complete agreement, but as far as the world of finance and world order, London and Washington have been where the action is.
But the Anglo-American Empire is in trouble now. To finance this war, the Chinese government has used its people as cheap cheap labor to with American capital from private sources slowly built an industrial complex that within ten years may be the largest industrial complex in the world.
But the US government has financed this war and all the tax cuts with loans from China. When the Chinese government nationalizes all those factories built by American corporation, those corporations will be bankrupt. When the Chinese government demands that the US pay off it government debt to China, the US government will also be bankrupt. That will destroy retirement incomes, stock portfolios by everyday citizens. In short it will be an economic catastrophe.
So has this war along with the tax cuts been worth it? It sure has for the Peoples' Republic of China. They have used it to begin the process of becoming the worlds greatest economic power.
Not only the US will be affected. Taiwan without American military to defend it will have to negotiate the best deal it can to avoid a military invasion.
If the Anglo-American Empire can keep Japan and add India to its empire, then the empire can continue for several more decades.
But here is the deal. In 1945 the main capital of the Empire shifted from London to Washington. In fifty years, the capital of this empire may be New Delhi, India or it may shift back to Europe as the European Union might become unified enough to speak with one voice.
This war has been great for who? China.
