An Anniversary Too Sad To Celebrate
Brave New Film's Rethink Afghanistan:
Today is the seventh anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
There's a temptation as we begin to end our combat presence in Iraq to search for a happy ending. But there has been no 'victory' in Iraq. We created this video as a reminder of the damage done to Iraq and to our country over the last seven years. We also know that there will be no economic recovery here at home as long as we're spending $100 billion a year on another war that isn't making us any safer - the war in Afghanistan.
That's why we're asking you to report the Afghanistan War as an example of waste, fraud and abuse on the White House's official economic recovery website, Recovery.gov, today. Simply scroll down to the field marked "What" and paste this message into the text box: "I'd like to report the waste of billions of dollars of our national wealth in Afghanistan on a war that doesn't make us safer. It's fraud to portray this as a war that increases our security, and it's abusive of U.S. troops and local civilians to drag out this war any longer. End the war so we can have real economic recovery."
As of today, iCasualties lists 4,703 allied servicemembers killed in Iraq and Iraq Body Count estimates that 95,680 - 104,382 Iraqi civilians (not insurgents/military/soldiers) have been killed. And that doesn't include injured veterans or those who committed suicide. Tens of thousands of families have been torn apart by the what we now know was the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. We've spent $747.3 BILLION in Iraq, with the full cooperation of the pearl-clutching deficit hawks in the Republican Party.
And not one of us can honestly claim that we are safer.
What a sad anniversary.
Good call. Violence and all that isn't the right approach. But telling the unadulterated truth is.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
I've been trying not to think about what happened seven years ago today because that is the day I really feared I would lose my mind. Seeing those pictures of the never ending bombing of people I knew were not guilty of a damned thing almost drove me truly crazy. I called my husband at work and I was crying and freaking out. I had never felt like that before in my life.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Then don't watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEvzuA4f0c
I shouldn't, but I do. Never forget.
Sorry it hurt you so much p. o. patricia. It hurts me too.
"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!
Tell me just how it reduces the deficit.. People take polls and publish numbers , but they never gives the details. I would like to know just who's deficit it will reduce... Are we talking the cost to the health and drug companies...
The public or single payer option was not only taken OFF the table , but was stored in the vault where no one could see the reduction it would made because it would show the piece of crap which the democrats are passing for the health & drug companies to be what it is NOTHING but a sham...
Democrats and others keep saying it lower the deficit but they are talking about what it cost the hospital , insurance & drug companies.... Right from the start we are paying over 1 billion dollars to put our medical records on a data base so the health companies can determind just who they are going to charge what for and what tests they will will not pay for...
What In This Bill Cuts the deficit!!!!!! The fact that Americans have to buy what ever price the insurance company charges or be fined for it.. What tests are cut from what people receive which will be called unnecessary... Or the fact that drug prices can not be bid on for lower prices...
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/17/p...
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_green...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7x8p2GwZI
http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/1...
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff Says to Tune out ‘The Left’
December 19, 2009
Rahm Emanuel: Don’t Worry About the Left
None
I was so pissed I put windows wallpaper of Bush and Cheney on every computer in the R&D lab (30+ PCs?). My Asshole Republican boss at the time told me that my display was disrespectful. I'm so proud to be an American..
And you're an American I can respect. Good work.
"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!
Before the invasion, there was a site that had pictures of the people of Iraq doing their every day routines. There was one of what appeared to be a grandmother and a little child. I printed that photo and put it on my refrig door. I have no idea what happened to that old lady or the child, but that day I was thinking of them and hoping all to hell they were safe.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Does that mean we get to buy them exciting underwear?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Afghanistan
9 years, woohoo!
That figure for Iraqi deaths is risibly low. You could argue that some of the higher estimates, ie 1.3 million, are too high, but less than 100,000 dead after seven years of utter carnage, chaos and civil war is just ridiculous.
"The war “could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.” – 2/7/03
He had a million of them. Too bad it looks like he'll get to die not only outside prison walls, but there won't even be a whiff of a trial for this mass murderer and his co-horts.
me-oww!
I'm sure these were the chocolates they meant to throw to us in gratitude:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy6uLfermPU
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
On 1 May 2003 Bush declared mission accomplished, so it only lasted six weeks.
Some people have short memories.
I guess that was the day the war ended and the occupation started. I have trouble telling the difference.
All wars are sad. Illegal wars just make it worse. Torturing innocent people during an illegal or a legal one if that is even partially true, makes it worse. Thanks to President bush,shrub,liar traitor we got a two for one, an illegal imoral war with some torture thrown in to complete the total mess in the Middle East.
There are so many completely worthless and immoral people not only not getting charged and arrested for multiple felonies but aren't even being considered being charged and arrested for War Crimes to say nothing of the illegal surveliance without warrant of American Citizens. Justice isn't for everyone anymore. Oh Well. ex-POWS son Peace
The love you take is equal to the love you make. John Lennon Paul Mc Cartney
How many more years if ever; will the past wars in mankind history be look at as a barbaric time? How is it wrong to kick in a neighbor’s door and kill them, but normal to fly thousands of troops to Iraq and have them kill women and children? I will never understand.
Did we win yet? Are the WMDs all gone? Is Saddam out of power? Isn’t every single lie we were told as the reason we needed to invade now moot?
Can we leave now?
..the MIC hasn't collected all of our money yet.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
Oops
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Thanks for making me remember this. I had forgotten. Sadly.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
On the Ed Show tonight he had a dem member of the House who was a pilot who flew missions in Iraq. He decided to vote yes on the bill Sunday as a result of the CBO's report and for another reason. He said when he was flying missions in Iraq he heard that Tommy Thompkins was flying to Iraq with a check that would cover every person in Iraq getting healthcare. He said if we could do it for them, we could do it for the people in the US. I have no idea the spelling of the rep's name but it sounded like Bocherri.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
An American or somebody sells WMD's To Saddam Hussein and mustard gas for his enjoyment because he's our friend. Somebody profits what? $500MILLION? $700MILLION? EX CIA BushDaddy get's embarrased by Hussein and America has to stand up for his sonny boy. So we go to uggg, war? We spend $1TRILLION (it's not over yet) and lose almost 5,000 American lives and we find Hussein in a hole (which we paid for) and we kill him and his family, ruining a country and not getting the oil we were promised, just getting Dick and the Bush Dick fucks. Real good America. We are soooo smart. And safe. Let that be a lesson to us..... We were never that "UnSafe"...We're Fuckin' Americans!
NEVER LET A FUCKIN' REPUBLICAN,EVER, GO TO WAR IN YOUR NAME.....THIS IS THE FUCKIN' SHIT YOU WILL GET. HAPPY FUCKIN' ANNIVERSARY YANKS! ..FUCK THE REPUBLICAN GUARDS TOO!
And...We can't find the WMD's because our other "friendly enemies", the Saudi Arabians have them(pointed at us with the other WMD's we gave them). Boy were we smart by letting those damn republicans in charge...Oh, even God hates us now(God Hates Republicans)...we're that fuckin' stupid.
..especially if the right regains power in the Executive and Legislative branch of government. Obama and the DOJ MUST prosecute the war criminals and make it known that we are a nation of laws.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
There are a lot of lessons to learn from History. Unfortunately I'm afraid too few of us are willing to adequately learn them. Thanks for the post Nicole. Excellent reality based reporting.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
We need a word that means it has been x number of years since something bad happened. Anniversary sounds like celebrating something good that happened. Maybe infamous anniversary or something like that.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
It’s usually called a remembrance or solemn occasion.
I call this an ongoing travesty.
You can bet fox propaganda will "overlook" the anniversary.
We really are a nation of controlled information. I felt bad for the citizens of the Soviet Union back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Now if feel bad for the citizens of the United States of America. We are NO BETTER OFF than they were. That is NOT an exaggeration.
Reps. McClintock and Rohrbacher told the Cato Institute Thursday that "almost all of us think the Iraq War was a mistake." Now, thousands of lives (and a trillion dollars) later, they tell us something WE knew in 2003.
Can we please get all our troops out now? Then close Guantanamo and hold trials for those held indefinitely? And then maybe consider prosecuting the criminals who thought all this was a good idea?
Habeas Corpus is having an anniversary this May. Somewhere in the middle of May or April will be the longest time our right to Habeas Corpus, The Right to not be detained indefinitely without charge or trial, will have been suspended. They suspended it for a long time during the Civil War I think. But we will surpass that in a few months. That is cause for concern. We need to study the root causes and roots of terrorism and the style of shock doctrine politics that Naomi Klein talked about. Disaster Capitalism. Etc. We need to study it all real hard and learn to not let it go unmentioned when people are doing it in the future. And educate our fellow thoughtful citizens about the realities of such. Peace.
That so called "Patriot" act was passed after Anthrax was sent to key lawmakers and media figures.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
And the treasonous Cheney, Bush and their criminal cohorts are as free as little birdies, all the while collecting their cushy little Government Pensions on the country's dime. In essence, they are still draining The Treasury.
Government + the Federal Reserve = organized crime
The criminals that perpetrated one of the biggest blunders in american history are still walking free....or on Fox. And not going after them will be seen as one of the blunders of the Obama administration.
And just the other day, in an interview on NPR, I heard Karl Rove say that, if the Bush administration had it to do all over...
...they would. Still cranking that tireless meme "the world is better off without Saddam Hussein." He did say he regrets the many American soldiers who have died. The thousands of innocent Iraqis dead? Uh, he didn't mention them.
They are still in power and unashamed. Heck, they're still using the same play book against Iran.
What was that about those failing to remember their history having to repeat it? . . . in summer school :)
Corruption favors the wealthy.
The death and destruction continues ...
you state "...on another war that isn't making us any safer - the war in Afghanistan."
that is not entirely true. afghanistan was always the correct theater of operations with to confront and neutralize al qaeda. what it is not is a base for nation building in any way shape or form. the conflicting successes of the disparate strategic goals are readily seen by the relative failures of the karzai regime building goal vs. the now reported success of the drone attack in both splitting the taliban-al qaeda alliance in pakistan and seriously degrading al qaeda's operational capabilities in the same setting.
iraq never should have been any serious operational effort and indeed it's inaction siphoned off logistical support from afghanistan which should have been the primary strategic effort against al qaeda, in addition the iraq war seriously degraded the u.s. military's readiness structure.
afghanistan is where we should have always been, we just have to do it right, with no nation building, finish it, kill al qaeda, and leave.
In point of fact, I don't think that we're any safer in Afghanistan, and I think a lot of it has to do with our cultural ignorance. Al Qaeda does not equate to the Taliban and it never did.
You can't "kill al Qaeda" and leave. Because we can't be that targeted and every time we destroy a family at a wedding, we radicalize the survivors.
Al Qaeda wants us to leave. That’s why they are fighting. In order to kill everyone in Afghanistan who wants us to leave – before we leave – we’ll have to kill everyone in Afghanistan.
i saw your headline and ascribed brave new films's words to you as they weren't quoted. a thousand apologies. durrrrr....
the war in afghanistan is the proper theater but strategically it is being horribly misapplied. i agree, propping up karzai and foisting democracy on the afghani tribal society is ludicrous. empire building in the mode of the british and u.s.s.r. failures and now the useless karzai/taliban experiment both ignores the stated historical failures and the primary reason we are there in the first place: to punish the perpetrators of 9/11. the only reason we need afghanistan for is as a staging area for attacks against al qaeda in pakistan. no more no less. we should have neutralized the operation that caused 9/11 and stopped. if any further threats were given, well...then they would have been dealt with at that time.
..dead or alive. w and the war criminals let him go, fought a senseless war with no intention of winning anything and occupied a nation further aggravating the situation in the Middle East. I believe had we gone in and got bin Laden and left, we would have been much safer and less threatened by terrorist organizations. This was all about "who can make a profit". In the end, we violated I don't know how many international agreements and now, we are not investigating, arresting or trying the criminals. We should consider apologizing to nazi and japanese war criminals' families we put to death for torture and they may wish to sue us for reparations. And, this is going to cost the President my vote in 2012.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
The Cost of the Iraq War stated in this article does not address the cost of Health care budget increases to the VA nor future costs of Social Security Survivor Benefits to Spouses and children of the Dead or those with Permanent disabilities.
Donaldd
Bleeding and leading doesn't hold true in this case... 7 years on and nothing on the front page of the:
New York Times: http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.as...
Washington Post: http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.as...
or LA Times: http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.as...
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