We live in a strange world. The news is reported to our open ears. We want to trust it. Some news gets played over more important news. It’s what’s stylish, current or in the newsaphere at that time.
It is the twentieth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/world/middleeast/iraq-war-reason.html
A pretty significant event in history.
The United States, George Bush, Dick Chaney and company got it wrong. Regardless of intentions or who got rich. 4000 US service men died along with 300,000 Iraqis died. Those are low estimates.
Meanwhile, on this anniversary, the news is all about Trump paying off a pornstar.
Trump is and always will be a buffoon. He gets votes because the choices aren’t any better.
Why is Bush painting shitty painting in Texas and rubbing elbows with Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres, instead of in jail for war crimes?
America is this correct? America, Allen Ginsberg [1926-1997]
Palliser Pass 
larry
Yes 20 yrs already. I remember those days and what was discussed at the Office. We all knew at work in our circle that Bush and Blair were making the story up to justify the invasion, the press fell for it, clever lies. This is why PM Chretien stayed out of it, he was advised and knew what the game plan was. So many Iraqis paid a dear price and their country was destroyed and still unmanageable today and will probably stay that way for many years to come. Today this war is forgotten and people need amusement so Trump is the topic. News today is entertainment. Other times other problems. The powerful winners never pay for their mistake, Bush is happy in retirement and Blair got a knighthood.
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underswansea
I remember the speech Chretien made explaining why Canada wouldn’t be part of the coalition. I was proud. He took a lot of heat from everyone for being correct.
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mountaincoward
The idea at the time was to oust Saddam Hussein and his family – all of whom were very bad for the populace of the country. I remember cheering as their palace fell and they were captured. But I hadn’t reckoned on (and no-one else had either) the fact that, once a dictator has gone from a middle eastern country, anarchy takes over and the people are far worse off than before. I genuinely don’t think either the UK, the US or any other Western country really realised that in advance. Was the same with Libya and Qadafi.
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underswansea
The US’s part in the invasion was criminal, regardless of intentions, which were never noble to begin with.
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Carol A. Hand
I remember how heartbroken I was when I heard the news about the invasion of Iraq – yet another country that had nothing to do with 9/11, but had oil. I was teaching social welfare policy then at a university. The topic for the day was “Social Security” – a complex and important policy that always bores students. A country at war is not promoting social security in a larger sense, so I decided to have the students form small groups to discuss the invasion instead. The group rule was to respect each other’s position even if it was different. They did an amazing job with thoughtful, respectful dialogue. I truly wish politicians could do the same. In future classes, I assigned a book by Christian Parenti (2004), “The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq,” a powerful inside story about the costs of war for all involved and the legacy of devastation war leaves in its wake.
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underswansea
It was a sad part of history and a big part of why the United States has lost its status around the world and is now destroying itself from within.
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Carol A. Hand
It’s difficult to watch the circus without any power to change the madness. I hope what I’m writing will help someday. It’s all I can do. I’m both deeply troubled and excited about what I’ve discovered and the possibility it might make a difference at least in one arena – child welfare policy. I’m working on final edits for the last two chapters and feel the power of uncomfortable truths that need to be shared.
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