Stop Calling the Iraq War a 'Mistake'

[slipslidingaway]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/24287-focus-stop-calling-the-iraq-war-a-mistake

Pick a topic, today is the TPP, two weeks ago it was the Keystone pipeline, twelve years ago it was a vote to allow Bush to wage a war of aggression against Iraq ...whatever the topic of the day.

You need to have a 'gut reaction' as to what is currently happening and if it is right or wrong. Initial instincts can be everything, is it right, wrong, or should more questions be asked?

We have to look at the instincts of leaders, have they been right or wrong? Did their support or agreement at the time help to influence a vote one way or another.

Are they leaders, who speak their mind when it is not popular, or are they followers?



By Dennis Kucinich, Reader Supported News

17 June 14

"As Iraq descends into chaos again, more than a decade after "Mission Accomplished," media commentators and politicians have mostly agreed upon calling the war a "mistake." But the "mistake" rhetoric is the language of denial, not contrition: it minimizes the Iraq War's disastrous consequences, removes blame, and deprives Americans of any chance to learn from our generation's foreign policy disaster. The Iraq War was not a "mistake" -- it resulted from calculated deception. The painful, unvarnished fact is that we were lied to. Now is the time to have the willingness to say that.

In fact, the truth about Iraq was widely available, but it was ignored. There were no WMD. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11. The war wasn't about liberating the Iraqi people. I said this in Congress in 2002. Millions of people who marched in America in protest of the war knew the truth, but were maligned by members of both parties for opposing the president in a time of war -- and even leveled with the spurious charge of "not supporting the troops."

[restorefreedom]

1. it was a mistake

if you only supported it for political gain since most people are against it now.

[slipslidingaway]

3. Mistake ...

an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mistake?s=t

[hifiguy]

35. There are only two excuses for a Democrat voting for the IWR

They were stupid - not knowing what countless millions around the world knew - that Chimpoleon was lying through his teeth, OR

They were cowardly and voted for it to cynically cover their own asses, politically speaking.

There are no other options.

NONE.

And either option is an automatic disqualifier for holding the presidency.

[restorefreedom]

36. just had a chat about this

today with someone. they said "we were lied to." i said "how come sanders, kucinich, and chafee and so many other figured it out?"

you are right. the two choices are bad. bad and worse, or worse and worse.

this will come up tonight.

[Ron Green]

4. It was a crime.

That's what to call it.

[noiretextatique]

5. +1000 eom

[slipslidingaway]

7. Thank you and I agree it was a crime ...

but if I just say it was a mistake, will all will be forgiven?

Except I cannot stop thinking of the millions of people whose lives were changed forever, hard to reconcile the 'mistake' and lives subsequently and easily forgotten.

Bottom line is I think 'you either get it or you do not'

Few words can convince others to have empathy.

Thanks for getting it!

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

11. It will always be a crime until ALL of those responsible are brought to justice

Face it America we harbor known war criminals and somehow have the audacity to say we support freedom and justice for all.

America has NEVER supported freedom and justice for all, only for the 1% and whites, the rest of us not so much.

[KingCharlemagne]

27. Those who gave their lives on Little Round Top and

Cemetery Ridge might beg to disagree. Aside from that, I pretty much agree with you.

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

30. Sigh, slavery was only a motivation factor to increase recruitment in the Union Army

Sure some may have joined the Union Army to fight for freedom of the slaves but the majority did not join for that reason. Just like today yes some people join the military in the hopes of killing muslims but most join the military for economic reasons.

The war was started by the Southern 1% and the Northern 1% were the financial victors.

Decedents of the former slaves are still having to fight for freedom and equality today and one could say those who died on Cemetery Ridge and other places died for nothing too.

[KingCharlemagne]

32. Sigh back. If slavery was a motivating tool for the northern armies it was also a motivating tool

for Southern armies. The fact is that most farm boys of the day and age probably left home to see the world, rather than because they wanted to see slavery ended or see it expanded. That said, there can be no doubt that the war to end chattel slavery succeeded in achieving its goal.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. A cold blooded and very bloody act of political expediency.

[slipslidingaway]

8. I agree ...

and sometimes I have tried to make excuses, but there really are none.

We have to face to the truth, I'm sorry and mistakes just do not cut it when you look at the info that was available and those who got it right.

It would be a disservice to those who did their due diligence.

[Egnever]

9. No it was not a mistake

It was absolutely a calculated decision.

[slipslidingaway]

17. Yes it was a calculated decision and the wrong one! n/t

[F4lconF16]

10. I was 6 when that war was started.

I have literally never known a world without it.

Thankfully, I live on this side of the world and not the one where hospitals are still being bombed. My brothers and sisters in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Middle East have not lived the peace I have.

I feel guilt for this war, and should not. There are far too many that should, and do not.

War is a crime of the highest magnitude and those who do not blindly support it are damn well aware of that.

[slipslidingaway]

18. So many kids who live on the other side of the world have known nothing but war ...

and all the insecurity it brings, whether it be losing a parent/parents/siblings etc. not to mention the insecurity of a home, school and food. There were hundreds of thousands of orphans, think it was well over a million in Iraq and millions of people displaced.

As you eluded to some of these kids are now in their twenties and I can only imagine they might be easily swayed to fight those who caused their insecurity.

Even if those who bear some responsibility do not feel any guilt, we need to remind them and we should never forget.

[Fumesucker]

12. The single worst American foreign policy decision ever

Not even the Vietnam War was worse in terms of long term negative consequences, we will be reaping the noxious fruits of what has been sown in the Middle East for generations.

[slipslidingaway]

19. Well I think we are certainly seeing the long term consequences now ...

and the ramifications are already being felt by the next generation. It is so sad that some did not look more deeply into the "facts" that were presented by the Bush administration before casting a vote. Many times we are quick to blame the opposition party, but we really need to make sure our we keep our own house in order.

[John Poet]

13. Stupidity and deception.

[slipslidingaway]

21. Yes a combo of the two ...

not traits one wants to achieve.

[Scuba]

14. Carefully calculated crime.

[slipslidingaway]

22. Yes, some recognized it at the time and were shut down. n/t

[Martin Eden]

15. DK is Spot-On

In fact, the truth about Iraq was widely available, but it was ignored. There were no WMD. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11. The war wasn't about liberating the Iraqi people. I said this in Congress in 2002. Millions of people who marched in America in protest of the war knew the truth, but were maligned by members of both parties for opposing the president in a time of war -- and even leveled with the spurious charge of "not supporting the troops."

^^this^^

Absolutely no excuse voting for the IWR in 2002.

I wouldn't support John Kerry in the 2004 Democratic primary, and I won't support Hillary Clinton in this one.

[slipslidingaway]

23. Yes, there was no excuse. n/t

[AgingAmerican]

16. It was a money laundering operation

nt

[slipslidingaway]

24. Sums it all up!!! n/t

[HerbChestnut]

20. Has Hillary every apologized for casting that vote?

I know she's admitted it was a 'mistake', but that's a far cry from coming out and actually saying "I'm sorry".

[slipslidingaway]

25. Maybe, but I do not know for sure. IMHO if you say I'm sorry that should be followed up ...

in some way of making restitution and I think that would be difficult.

[Scootaloo]

26. She voted against the Levin amendment. She argued for war on television.

You can't walk that back, twelve years after the fact, millions dead and displaced later.

[KingCharlemagne]

28. "Out, damned spot!"- nt

[cpwm17]

29. For the hard-core Neocons

it was spectacularly successful. The secular leaders in Iraq and Libya are dead and those nations are now weak. Syria's now a huge mess and they still have hope to get Assad. Their main failure is they haven't been able to get Iran, which they are still doing their best to change.

Israel is preeminent in the ME and is getting increasingly brutal in the occupied territories, and the US war-makers are making big buck - mission accomplished. They would have had difficulty believing they would be so successful since starting the Gulf War in 1991 on lies, started at a time when they lost their old reliable enemy, the Soviet Union.

This fake testimony was almost exactly 25 years ago:

The ME has changed so much since then.

[slipslidingaway]

33. These invasions have contributed to the crisis we are seeing today, 'sorry it was a mistake'

is something easy to say, but we need to look at the millions of people who are affected and what might have been if some of leaders had the foresight to question "back then."

[magical thyme]

31. K&R

[slipslidingaway]

34. Thanks! n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

37. A fiasco!

[slipslidingaway]

40. It sure is :( nt

[jfern]

38. True, it was exactly what PNAC wanted

They just had to wait for a "new Pearl Harbor" and come up with some bullshit excuses. They were planning for the Iraq war since before 9/11.

[slipslidingaway]

41. Yes and now are not sure how to handle the push back. nt

[Javaman]

39. There was no mistake.

thinking it a mistake means forgiveness and reflection. george w. moron* is a war criminal who purposely started that war. there were no "mistakes".

I will never ever forgive that mother fucker* for starting it. I will never ever forgive anyone who voted for it.

there was no fucking mistake.

it was a purposeful evil action. period.

[slipslidingaway]

42. Agree, when you vote for something that will affect millions of people ...

you better damn well do your homework AND err on the side of caution. You cannot just say later 'it was mistake' and merrily move forward.