The Tin Anniversary of the Iraq War
by Bob Schwartz
Tin is the traditional gift to mark a 10th wedding anniversary, just as it is silver for the 25th and gold for the 50th. There is no tradition about the anniversaries of wars, so tin will have to do.
All wars are controversial, whatever the split in support (80/20, 20/80, 50/50, rarely true 100% support), whatever the rationale, whatever the price. Every American war has had its naysayers, contemporary with combat and in the rear view mirror of history. World War II came close to consensus, although even there questions are still raised about whether we were late getting in and whether the unprecedented brutal way we got out was necessary.
This paragraph was going to include a bunch of numbers about the Iraq War. But you are going to find those numbers everywhere: how many of our personnel served, how many were killed and wounded, how many civilians were killed and wounded, how much it cost in dollars. Those numbers are meant to demonstrate the price paid, in, as they say, blood and treasure. Here it is in brief: the price was staggeringly high.
And next is something surprisingly good to say about the Vietnam War. If we learned nothing else from that nation-dividing conflict, we learned this: whatever we believe about a war, we can never, ever, ever take anything away from the service of those who fight.
Some people miss an important point when they argue that we have to justify a war after the fact so that those who suffered won’t have suffered “in vain”. It is the exact opposite. When a war turns out in hindsight to present real questions about why, those who fought are maybe more our most loyal heroes, especially in a volunteer army. They didn’t answer a call to defeat some cosmic embodiment of evil (e.g., Hitler); they just loyally answered a call to serve. They deserve all we can give them (which, by the way, includes world-class medical care).
In August 2002 I sent an e-mail to some U.S. Senators, including Bob Graham of Florida and Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Both of them were skeptical about the rush to war, and both—particularly Byrd—believed that the role of Congress was being ignored.
This is an excerpt from that e-mail It is not here to reveal some astute analysis or prescience. Lots of people knew or suspected that something was wrong. It is just here as an artifact of a moment that led us to the anniversary today.
Sent August 29, 2002
Congress has the constitutional power to make war, which includes careful deliberation and action if necessary.
In the case of Iraq, you and Congress should assert that power immediately and clearly. Congress has previously allowed that power to erode in the face of political pressure, and now faces an administration that is using an atmosphere of fear (that it has intentionally or inadvertently helped create) to dare Congress to defy its claimed authority.
When you do exercise that power, as I hope you will, it should be more than a rubber stamp. The President seems to have a simplistic and maybe, with all due respect, a simple-minded view of world affairs. The role he is carving out for the U.S. as the world’s sheriff may be right in a moral sense, but is possibly disastrous in the world of the 21st century. Which evildoer is next on the list; which town is he planning to clean up?
This isn’t High Noon or The Magnificent Seven. We have been lucky in Afghanistan, though I expect things will fall apart there within the next year or so. The destabilization of Iraq, especially in the face of global disdain for our actions, could be much more costly.
Finally, I believe that the President’s strange game of hide-the-ball regarding his plans for Iraq (in the guise of not telegraphing our strategy) is wreaking havoc with our economic confidence. Anybody with any economic insight knows that things are much worse than anyone is willing to talk about, restraining such talk in the hope that consumers and businesses will regain lost faith in the future. There is no way that an attack on Iraq can help that situation, and a thousand ways it can and will hurt.
For the record, when the Iraq War Resolution did pass Congress in October 2002, Byrd, Graham and a total of 23 Senators (21 Democrats, 1 Republican, 1 Independent) voted against it. Of those, only a handful are still in the Senate: Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin, Carl Levin, Barbara Mikulski, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Debbie Stabenow and Ron Wyden. It has been more than ten years, so choice and death have taken the rest of them. One who did vote for it who is no longer in the Senate is John Kerry, who became Secretary of State after the “official” end of the Iraq War, and who, between the vote for the war and the end of it, ran for President.
It’s a funny old world.
Reblogged this on The Top 3.
I can’t say that i agree, but it was a very well read article. Thanks for sharing your opinion without any intention to offend.
It was not a war with IRAQ it was a illegal invasion of a nation
in which the USA military directly as undirectly killed a million
and a half people // use of bombs in having nuclear casings
responsible for many IRAQI children now whom stillborn / or
born with severe deformities / and such horror will continue.
Your comment the result of USA 24 / 7 media brainwashing
you simply lack any true depth of understanding / such not
your fault being such poor victim of 24/7 govt brainwashing.
Let’s hope the next decade will bring us peace.
You’re definitely right to criticise the traditional “in vain” argument. There’s not a single war to which it could not be applied and thus apparently justify.
Great piece. There’s hardly any justification for war really, especially a way that was fought under the guise of a non-existent cause
Did we ever find any WMDs?
No. And according to the apologists who are still making the case just in the past week or so (Rumsfeld, etc.), that wasn’t the point in the first place.
I will raise a tin cup for my fallen brothers.
And to you.
While the economic costs have certainly been high, where Iraq and the ‘war on terror’ have also been quite costly, is in the continual degradation of our rights.
You wrote “whatever we believe about a war, we can never, ever, ever take anything away from the service of those who fight.” and “When a war turns out in hindsight to present real questions about why, those who fought are maybe more our most loyal heroes, especially in a volunteer army. They didn’t answer a call to defeat some cosmic embodiment of evil (e.g., Hitler); they just loyally answered a call to serve. They deserve all we can give them (which, by the way, includes world-class medical care).” Especially for that, but also for the entire well-written and considered post, I thank you.
Congratulations on having this very thoughtful, articulate post Freshly Pressed. It strikes me that since tin suffices as an appropriate gift, “One Tin Soldier” serves as an appropriate song.
Funny you mention the song. The “tin” idea came from the anniversary, but afterward I couldn’t get the song out of my head. For those who don’t know, it is the theme song from the 1971 movie Billy Jack. The movie is about a half-Native American Vietnam vet who comes back to the place he fought for, only to find it is still filled with intolerance and hate. The song was a Top 40 hit:
Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end.
There won’t be any trumpets blowin’ come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away
Yes, appropriate. Thanks.
you wrote well. thank you
Thanks. You’re welcome.
It really is hard to believe that we have been at war for ten years now.. Sadly a war I think we are going nowhere with or ever will. This generation of terrorism is something that is never going to go away, a harsh reality that we must accept. But doesn’t hurt to pray for peace.
Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
I have a question to ask if I may? War nature or nurture? Is war a inherited behavior part of the human DNA? Or is it a learned behavior passed down from generation to generation. A human tradition? Which ever the case it will be a long difficult road to to eliminate war.
Human history as far back as they started marking things down. I guess I could safely say from our beginning war has been the alternative to communication. A misunderstanding you quit talking and start fighting . I want that. I am not going to give it to you. No more talk , let’s fight. I think that’s mine. No it’s mine , no more talk let’s fight.
Maybe this is over simplified , but you get my point. War ever present. I don’t remember a time where there wasn’t fighting some where. That is the reality of it all. But, the BIG BUT, That doesn’t make it right. It isn’t the answer to the issues that pledge the world
It is clear to me, war does not work. The problem is not solved There is a problem one starts a war . People get killed. Now the other takes revenge turns around and kills some of the ones. Who turns around kills more of the other. Maybe bigger bombs will do it . War doesn’t work.
I know it is a crazy idealist thought . Why don’t we try something else. Instead of war , why not WAGE PEACE!.
Meh, it was a year of my life I will never get back. I did help some people over there, but it was a moot point as if we didn’t break the country we wouldn’t have had to fix it.
Thanks for the blog. You have great points. I was Marine on deployment in 2002 and we were turned away from going to Afghanistan because Bush wanted to invade Iraq. Removing the Marines from Afghanistan made that situation worse. We all knew then that it was wrong to invade Iraq but it happened anyway.
As an veteran of Iraq I can tell you that war is a very ugly concept that no one needs to experience. I will always support the Soldier in any conflict as this article clears the fact that this is a volunteer army. Most of us decided to join for the school money, health insurance and a job. There is a strong price to pay for these benefits, but hey, that is the price. Great article.
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