It is not 'welfare' to help stabilize these countries we have freed from brutal totalitarianism. It is the same thing we did in Germany and Japan after WW II (only much more quickly), and absolutely necessary for our own security.
It sounds to me like you may be economically educated, but a bit naive and uninformed about history, and the reality of terrorism. Just guessing from what you've written here.....
Thanks for patronizing me. I have lived in three continents, and have known people from all over first hand. It is you who lacks any basis in reality. Let's take your case of stabilizing Europe. You will agree that we share culturally and geneologically with Europe than any other parts of the world. So, what happened after we put Europe on American welfare? Within two generations we have created the most virulently anti-American folks in the world in the country that benefited most from US welfare. And you think that if we only put more countries on US dole, with whom we share nothing culturally, somehow that will stabilize them and make them our friends? Think again. Step out of Ohio and live there for a little while and you will find out soon what these people respond to. If we are rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, you know what this implicitly means to them? It means we have done a violent crime in these nations and that is why we are rebuilding them. That is the mentality in that part of the world. Only if we pillaged and plundered would they have gotten the message that THEY have done something wrong. If you don't trust me, talk to someone who has lived there and ever had to negotiate with these people. Then you can come back and call me naive.