Original sentence: In the early 1970s, inflation caused by rising prices for imported commodities, especially oil, and spending on the Vietnam War, which was not counteracted by cuts in other government expenditures, combined with a trade deficit created a situation in which the dollar was worth less than the gold used to back it
Edited sentence: In the early 1970s, inflation caused by spending on social programs and the Vietnam War combined with a trade deficit created a situation in which the dollar was worth less than the gold used to back it