After piling up trillions of dollars of war debt during the last decade, America seemed to be on the brink of a new era — ready to shut off the Iraq-Afghanistan funding faucet, bring its troops home and enjoy a peace dividend.
But the respite looks like it will be brief. The new security threats around the world are leading to renewed calls for military engagement: maybe not boots on the ground but air strikes, drones and weapons and training for shadowy opposition groups.
With Iraq descending into chaos and ISIS beheading Americans, the public is alarmed not only at the prospect of getting dragged back into the fray, but also wondering if the economy can withstand any more.