Letter: 10th anniversary of start of Iraq War shows little positive effect for Iraq or U.S.

Iraq_Anniversary_Photo_Gallery[1].JPG A U.S. Marine watches a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled in Firdaus Square in downtown Baghdad in this April 2003 file photo.  


The Iraq war was an act of premeditated aggression based on falsehoods. Have the Iraqis benefited? Certainly not with100,000 Iraqi lives lost, instability and violence still the rule the day. The Iranian clergy and Haliburton have certainly benefited.

Americans have suffered: 4,500 deaths, untold suffering from lost limbs, PTSD, suicides and lives ruined. Trillions added to the national debt. While there is a resurgence of isolationism and a willingness to cut defense, the Republicans' silence is deafening. The eight years of tax cut and spend Republican rule along with a toxic regulatory environment put us in a recession in 2008. What is the Republican response? Blame it on tax-and-spend Democrats, refuse to provide enough stimulus to get us through, and obstruct. They continue to call for more top-heavy tax cuts, replacing Medicare with voucher-care, and blaming the needy for their predicament. Meanwhile those legislators that want to tackle our real problems such as global warming, income inequality and a toxic food system are unable to act. A meaningful economic revival could result. Yes, we are in debt, but the debt of an inhospitable environment, starvation, and misery we will leave to future generations is much worse.

One political party has demonstrated they have other interests than what is needed. Patriotism means learning from mistakes to improve our country's future well being. Maybe they are in a period of self-reflection and something better may come out of it, but it doesn't seem evident.

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