I spent some time reflecting on how it came to be that America found itself drawn into its wasteful, destructive, and immoral occupation of Iraq. While there certainly were the high level schemers and fomenters, I think the time was right in many ways, and there were enough willing participants around to enable it to happen. Besides the obvious willful deception by a US president eager to go to war, there is a gang of other concomitant factors.
Below is a list (in no particular order) of the different things that the Iraq invasion represents, and therefore why various parties are on board with it, which I call the "Iraq War is" list.
The Iraq War is...
| 1) | ...a means to, in the short term, boost the price of oil and significantly increase profits for energy corporations - so the oil and energy people are on board |
| 2) | ...a means to, in the long term, open up Iraqi oil fields to drilling by Western oil corporations - so the oil and energy people are on board |
| 3) | ...a vehicle for the military industrial complex to boost profits - so the military industry is on board |
| 4) | ...a battle to cling on to influence in the world - so American imperialists are on board |
| 5) | ...a way for Israel to use America as an instrument in its battle for regional security - so Israelis and influential pro-Israeli lobbyists in America are on board |
| 6) | ...a way to fan the flames of terror, inspire new generations of terrorists, and create a breeding and training ground for terrorism, all in order to install a "Long War" - so the military, the military industry, arms dealers, and authoritarianism minded Republicans are on board |
| 7) | ...a way to demonstrate to the world that the United Nations is useless and only the US can really get the job done - so isolationists, sovereignists, fervent nationalists, and UNophobes are on board+) |
| 8) | ...a way to divert attention from the real issue of our times - Global Warming - so polluting corporations of all flavor and variety are happy to have the spotlight taken off them and are disincented to challenge it |
| 9) | ...competition by religious bodies for members (by hopefully breaking the hold of Islamic control, Christianity creates a more level playing field in those regions to vie for souls) - so Christianity stands by largely silent |
| 10) | ...a way to escalate the "clash of cultures" and thereby strengthen the voices of fundamentalism and orthodoxy on all sides - so all manner of religious zealots and extremists are on board |
| 11) | ...a way to proliferate misery and turmoil in the world, so that anguished humans reach to faith - so all religions have their hand in it in some way, regardless of formal protestations to the contrary |
| 12) | ...a battle to secure stability in vital oil-producing regions for stability of the world economy - so many financiers are on board |
| 13) | ...a political means to distract attention from domestic policy failures - so the Republican party is on board |
| 14) | ...a political means to silence dissent and solidify support behind a leader perceived as strong - so the president and his Republican party are on board |
| 15) | ...a means for the president to leave his mark on history and pursue self-glorification - so the president is on board |
| 16) | ...a means for the military to remain primed and war-ready - so the US military is on board |
| 17) | ...the hope that America can once again "win" somewhere - so Freepers, "go USA" uber-patriots, most Vietnam vets, and soldiers in general are on board |
| 18) | ...cathartic vengeance delivered in response to 9/11 - so much of the American public is on board |
| 19) | ...a call to nationalistic unity through "opening up a can o' whoop ass on somebody's ass" - so a politically polarized nation is on board |
| 20) | ...a vent for American bigotry against Muslims - so conservative Christians are on board |
| 21) | ...a ratings bonanza for the news media - so they're on board and even comfortably embedded |
| 22) | ...a way to keep the US military permanently engaged and overstretched - so Iran is on board |
| 23) | ...a way to hand over Iraq on a silver platter to control by Shiites loyal to Iran - so Iran is on board |
| 24) | ...a complete embarrassment to America that is actually fundamentally hurting American interests - so Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda are on board |
Now, if you supported the invasion of Iraq, seriously ask yourself the question: which one of the above reasons is the reason you were on board?