Nation Building at Home: Adding Up the Numbers

President Obama is selling his plan to pull troops out of Afghanistan by describing it as an opportunity to refocus on the domestic health of America. His term, “nation building at home” recalls the great American eras like the industrial and gilded ages. They eventually led to new railroads and highways, the infrastructure that powered us into the boom time of the 1950s.
   But with our national debt looming, are we up for a new age of expansion and innovation, even if we end up saving money from a troop withdrawal out of Afghanistan?
Todd Buchholz, former White House economist and author of “Rush: Why You Need and Love the Rat Race” adds up the numbers for us.