More than 9 years later

    All day long I have been listening to NPR and information about our final withdrawal from Iraq.  I have been thinking about this post on and off while listening.  I wish I had some words of wisdom.  The world continues to be a difficult place for its inhabitants. 
    Many people would and have argued that the United States went into these wars (we are still in one in Afghanistan) in response to 9/11.  That was the rational for the war in Afghanistan in the early Bush years. The people of America rallied around our flag, president and sense of lost security to enter the sovereign country of Afghanistan, hoping to get to the Osama Bin Ladin supporters and thinking it would make us all safer and show the world that you can't "tread on" us.  I had mixed feelings about our armies entering Afghanistan.  Rarely does war or invasion of another country solve problems. 
    However the invasion of Iraq was definitely a mistake in my opinion.  I think it was a misguided attempt to rid that area of the world of a man that irritated the administration of George W. Bush.  Granted Sidam Hussein was NOT a nice man.  He was a brutal dictator who ruled his people with a bloody reign.  However, I do not think that it is our job to rid the world of bloody dictators.  If that were so, we would be MUCH more busy than we are now.  Daily, bloody dictators bring their carnage to their lands and we ignore them as they kill and rob their own people. 
    I think that we went into Iraq for misguided and erroneous reasons.  I think that the Bush administration planned to wipe out the dictatorship of Hussein and then deposit a 'democratic' puppet in his place.  The conquering was easy, the ruling in the aftermath of the "take over" was extremely flawed and I would even say mismanaged because they did not plan what to do after taking over the country.  Right from the beginning the war leaders did their part but 'war leaders' and generals never make good rulers when taking over a country. Armies are really just good for winning wars.  They are not good for ruling after the war is over. 
    I have lived through TWO long and prolonged wars in my lifetime.  I did NOT support either one of them.  The war in Viet Nam was so misguided and cost the lives of many Americans and Viet Nam civilians and soldiers.  It left us a damaged country, disillusioned with our leaders and a very 'jaded' generation.  I think the only thing we learned in that war was that we should not blame the soldiers for the war.  I think it was a mistake to 'demonize' the soldiers as they came home.  Many people also learned that if you want to fight a more popular war, don't draft young men and women to fight it for you.  Historians will probably analyze that war for years to come.  However, the end results were that people died and nothing seemed to be gained. 
   The expense of this war has been crippling, and YES, I meant to use that exact word.  It has crippled so many young men, women and children in many countries.  It has crippled our country financially.  I don't even know how much money we have spent to 'conquer' Iraq.  I was reminded today with one story, Donald Rumsfeld was sure that the oil in Iraq would pay for the cost of the war.  We the people of the United States were encouraged to show the world that we were 'living our lives as usual by going out and shopping'.  No sacrifice involved in this war unless you count the sacrifices of lives. The TRILLIONS  of dollars that we have spent 'blows my mind' as we would say in the 60s. 
    I am also hearing some criticism today.  Some people are saying that we should not be leaving Iraq yet, that President Obama is making a mistake with his pullout.  These are the same people that say we should have intervened in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.  DO THESE PEO0PLE NEVER LEARN?????  When I listen to John McCain spout off about what President Obama is doing or not doing I am more and more thankful that we 'dodged that bullet'.  Can you imagine where we would be as a country if HE had become president???
   Well, that is my take of this historic day as our troops leave Iraq.  One more country that tried to impose democracy on the citizens.  I think more of America's leaders should study 'Cultures of the World' when they attend college. 
    I am going to push the button to publish this post and send my thoughts out to you readers.  Remember, this is my blog and my opinion.  You don't have to agree with me but I hope it makes you think.  (Maybe even think that I am right.)