"We Have Been at War in Iraq for 27 Years"

[7wo7rees]

This is pretty amazing Op-Ed. Everyone should read.

snip.....

For the historical record: There was the initial build-up of Desert Shield, followed by Desert Storm and its lethal cloud of depleted uranium. There were the sanctions/bombing Clinton years when we blew up sewage treatment plants and denied children vaccines in an ongoing act of biological warfare. Then, there was the second Bush invasion based on unprosecuted criminal lies, the long massacre of occupation and torture, the Obama occupation and drone war, the drawdown, the draw-back-up because of ISIS. Now, there is the current trembling mayhem of air strikes, car bombs, militias, factions, confusion and an overwhelming ocean of refugees.

Snip

It took 27 years, but one of the greatest heists, one of the greatest redistributions of wealth in the history of humanity has taken place right under our noses, and the nation of Iraq stands in ruins. Here at home, the ruins are not nearly as vivid, but they are still very present. Just look at us. Look at what war has done for us, what we have allowed to be taken from us, one day at a time, for almost 30 years

Snip
Imagine, on the other hand, thousands upon thousands of well-resourced schools with plenty of teachers and textbooks to go around, a health care system whose chief purpose was actual health care, fully funded medical research curing diseases like diabetes and ALS, coast-to-coast rail so fast you're in San Francisco almost before you left Boston, a rebuilt infrastructure that reimagines our national capacities as it invigorates our economy, a world-leading alternative energy industry that drinks deep of wind and sky even as it cleanses both.

Imagine millions of people, here and there, unharmed by the ravages we have inflicted upon them, and upon ourselves. Imagine all those who would still be alive.

We could have all that and more, right now, but for 27 years of war. We have not been robbed of our future. We have been robbed of our present.

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41582-we-have-been-at-war-in-iraq-for-27-years

[shanny]

1. Horrific and sadly true

but not confined to just this war. Our military adventures--and the military itself--have been robbing us of our present for all of my adult life. And it is getting worse, not better, even without another super power to oppose.

[ismnotwasm]

2. I'm not reading Pitts annoying overwriting

Nice try though

[sarisataka]

3. So should Saddam

Been allowed to just keep Kuwait?

Also I wish people would quit promoting the falsehood of "this is the longest war in US history". As my Native relatives, point out, the US was at war with them for 200 years before we were the US. If we are fighting in the Middle East in the year 2300 it would still only be the second longest conflict.

[LexVegas]

4. Ponderously overwritten. nt

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Excellent reminder!

And now we have Trump who is oblivious to history itching to start even more wars.

[madokie]

6. As was the case in my war

Vietnam. I fail to see what the Iraqi people did to deserve all this destroy, murder and mayhem