Mostly, I ignore what I can't control, but the anniversary of the start of the Iraq War II has me feeling unexpectedly furious. And so are some others, the many of us who have opposed America's military adventures. What this war did was give the lie to all assertions of good intentions toward the world that America claims. Vietnam was an even worse disgrace, and yet that whole era has vanished down the memory hole. Also obliterated are the horrors of the Gulf War. Remember the Highway of Death? No?
The biggest disgrace in the media was the NYT kowtowing to Bush and his fellow criminals.
How do we propose to put a stop to the destruction if we just say it's all in the past and let's try to do better in the future? Famously, as Faulkner said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
The people responsible for lying us into war are still alive, still showing their faces in the media, still writing op ed pieces, still respected and toadied up to, while opponents and victims continue to be marginalized. We are supposed to be all la la and the American way. And puppies. We all fall into it, because we want good lives, but the destruction is not stopping.
And we are powerless to stop it. Right now drones are flying over Pakistan and men are rotting in Guantanamo. Why is Obama letting this happen? Didn't he promise to put a stop to all this? And now the craven Democrats in Congress are going to let the assault weapons ban die.The fact is that what matters is corporate profits and sucking up the tax money. And being powerful. Never having been powerful, I don't understand the attraction, but the people in Washington and in the board rooms are drunk on it.
Shoving all this aside for the time being, I have my bag packed, and we are on our way to Seattle. The weather looks grim there, but it will be nice to see the family. We are just staying for one day and then will take off Mexico, returning to Seattle afterwards for a longer stay. I hope the old ticker doesn't give me problems. I am certainly feeling and looking a lot better. But I am still in a tricky phase with this and must be careful.
You nailed it Hattie. I too am furious and sick every time I read or hear anything about this 10 year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. Disgusted with how not one of the American "leaders" has been held accountable for the waste of it all. And we are still doing it.
Posted by: Florence | March 20, 2013 at 10:40 AM
I also get a very bitter and angry feeling when the reports are coming forth on this, because I as a normal citizen KNEW this would be the result when the shock and awe was happening and I cannot accept that everyone else (those in power) were dumber than I.
Posted by: Tabor | March 20, 2013 at 11:00 AM
"Also obliterated are the horrors of the Gulf War. Remember the Highway of Death? No?"
I remember it somewhat. Next year will be the centennial of World War I, which America didn't enter till 1917.
The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are an abstraction to most people. And even the first Gulf War was described as a "video game war." But that's an illusion. I'll have more on this later.
May your trip to Mexico be safe and fun.
Posted by: Brandon | March 20, 2013 at 11:52 AM
Aloha, Marianna and Terry. Have a safe and wonderful journey!
Also, excellent post. It's such a relief to not feel alone in my disgust about never-ending warmongering. Not that it changes a damn thing, but...
Posted by: Annie | March 20, 2013 at 12:14 PM
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/10-years-iraq-invasion/story?id=18759281
No official commemorations are planned. It reminds me of how troops coming back from Iraq have no official parades, as Rachel Maddow pointed out.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/02/24/10501824-details-on-fayettevilles-parade-to-honor-iraq-war-vets?lite
Posted by: Brandon | March 20, 2013 at 03:06 PM
I hope you have good flights and a good trip. It has been very stormy here today with wind and rain alternating with sunny patches. Typical March day for the PNW
Posted by: Rain Trueax | March 20, 2013 at 03:43 PM
Good luck and happy travels. Hindsight is always 20/20, but at the time over 70% of Americans and a strong majority of Congressmen and Senators were in favor of invading Iraq to stop Saddam from acquiring, using and selling Weapons of Mass Destruction. If only we would have known back then that a drone strike on him and his sons would have accomplished about the same thing and not cost over 4,000 US Soldiers and Marines and thousands of Iraqis their lives.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | March 20, 2013 at 04:51 PM
Florence: Nothing to feel good about.
Tabor: Or maybe power drunk and mad? We can see those traits easily enough in our enemies, but what if our own leaders are out of their minds?
Brandon: It's worth looking into what was behind that war, which was mostly about kicking the Vietnam syndrome. The whole Iraq fiasco (s) have had more to do with the honor of the Bush family than we want to admit. Remember how Bush I was stereotyped as a wimp?
Annie: The fact is that no one in public life, in corporate life or in the media has the guts to stand up to the military. And that includes Rachel Maddow. Much as I like her, and I do.
Rain: It is overcast here in Seattle and cold but rather pretty. Spring is definitely in the air.
Ingineer66: Nobody polled me! The idea that people like us were just a fringe element is ridiculous. A well coordinated propaganda campaign convinced most that Iraq II was necessary. But here on the ground, where I live, the only real enthusiasts for the war that I saw were some of the prisoners I worked with. The idea of killing a bunch of Ay-rabs appealed to them. And the more in sorrow than in anger and we have to follow our leaders set got a lot of air time in the media. Phil Donahue lost his job because he opposed the war. Oprah publically chastised a woman in her audience for standing up against the war. And so on. Shutting up the opposition was so important! And do you think we should violate international law by taking out leaders of other countries that we don't like? Have we become an outlaw nation?
Our leaders saw a chance to take out a weak leader and turn his country over to the capitalists. It all backfired, because those darn Ay-rabs fought back instead of pelting us with flowers.
When will we stop having these squalid adventures in other people's countries anyway?
Posted by: Hattie | March 21, 2013 at 10:20 AM
Wouldn't it be better to kill the head instead of killing thousands that are just following orders?
Posted by: Ingineer66 | March 21, 2013 at 08:38 PM
"And the more in sorrow than in anger and we have to follow our leaders set got a lot of air time in the media."
That was the liberal establishment stance.
==
Would Saddam Hussein eventually have been overthrown without U.S. and coalition intervention?
Posted by: Brandon | March 22, 2013 at 01:47 PM