The New York Times is showing its true colors as a useless rag of a publication, running a piece this week on the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. You may recall the lead up to “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, when politicians and news outlets, liberal and conservative, set aside their differences to beat the war drum and seek revenge for 9/11. This was done under the questionable guise of eradicating nonexistent weapons of mass destruction.
The NYT headlines their article, “Iraq, 20 Years Later: A Changed Washington and a Terrible Toll on America”, which kinda misses the entire point of who really suffered as a result of the invasion. To say that Washington has changed in any meaningful way is an outright lie, and the ‘terrible toll on America’ pales in comparison to the toll on Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the list goes on. Rather than framing the war as a ‘lesson in failed policymaking’, it’s more fitting to consider the ongoing generational devastation that the US has brought to Iraq and the Middle East at large.
This article provides great insight into how the death toll we’ve grown used to skimming past (at least 250,000 dead Iraqis) is really just the tip of the iceberg. By destroying and contaminating the Iraqi natural environment, the US and other western powers have contributed to untold numbers of miscarriages, chronic health problems, and environmental damage. An investigation by The Times, a London-based newspaper, suggests that the US military generated ~11 million pounds of toxic waste and abandoned it in Iraq. Today, it is easy to find soil and water polluted by depleted uranium, dioxin and other hazardous materials.
“If you travel to any village in Iraq, you will find contamination, radiation, and cancers. This is the legacy of the American invasion and the wars that came before it — everyone left their waste behind.”
Any reasonable society would have George Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleeza Rice, and so many other politicians in chains for the rest of their lives. At the very least these people would be endlessly mocked for their terrible decision-making and used as examples of how NOT to lead. But because we live in the rapidly-decaying husk of Western imperialism, these former thought leaders are free to live out their days finger painting or collecting checks from academic institutions without interference.
Side Items
Financial Downfall: Credit Suisse is the latest domino to fall in the continuing economic crisis. Swiss authorities cut a deal with the larger rival financial institution UBS to acquire the troubled bank. The purchase was made in an effort to stop more turmoil after the collapse of two US banks last week. In a clear indication of the frantic, behind-the-scenes deal-making by Swiss authorities to resolve the issue before markets opened Monday, the acquisition was announced late Sunday
No Such Thing?: A top Israeli minister baselessly claimed there’s “no such thing” as a Palestinian people as apartheid Israel’s new coalition government plowed full-steam ahead with a part of its plan to overhaul the judiciary. Bezalel Smotrich is a far-right settler leader who was probably bullied as a child and obviously opposes Palestinian statehood. He has a lengthy history of offensive statements against the Palestinians, including last month, when he called for the Palestinian town of Hawara in the West Bank to be “erased” after radical Jewish settlers rampaged through the town
Trump Arrest Eve: If the Donald is to be believed, the former president and porn star enthusiast will be indicted tomorrow in New York. Law enforcement in New York is continuing to closely monitor online chatter warning of protests and violence if Trump is arrested. Personally, I’m still skeptical that anything will materialize, but I remain hopeful that these idiots will show out for their disgraced leader