Why is the economy so bad?

The word recession is rolling off everyone's tongue as our economy makes its slow decline. There are several factors that have contributed to the current state of the economy. First and foremost is our budget for the war in Iraq. By extending our time overseas, we have drastically increased our expenses. In fact, George Bush has spent almost one hundred sixty six billion dollars on the war on terror. As we spend money to "fix" a country that doesn't need our help, we risk leaving our country on shaky economic ground. The second reason is that of our balance of trade. Our country continues to export far more than we import, leaving our country in a serious trade deficit. The third reason concerns the real estate market. Many cannot afford to pay back their loans and so are faced with foreclosures. Interests rates are through the roof and the inflation rates have left 5.5% of our nation unemployed.