Liberals today are trying to rehabilitate the image of George W. Bush. Don’t let them — his monstrous invasion of Iraq, based on lies, led to mass death in Iraq and untold damage to democracy in the US.
by Sara Haghdoosti, Jacobin
Twenty years ago, the Bush administration claimed that Saddam Hussein, a brutal dictator, had “weapons of mass destruction” that justified an invasion not just to keep people in the United States, but the whole world, safe.
They lied. There were no weapons of mass destruction. Bush administration officials misrepresented intelligence again and again to justify an unnecessary invasion. It was a decision that cost thousands of US service members and countless Iraqis their lives.
Today George W. Bush is the target of a perverse rehabilitation campaign, rooted in the idea that his criticism of Donald Trump’s election lies makes him some kind of savior of our democracy. Yet Bush and Trump and more alike than not — two presidents who used their power to inflict horrible harm around the world, often in contravention of domestic and international laws, and who faced no meaningful repercussions for their actions. Their similarity lays bare the ways that our governing system fails to deliver accountability for leaders who make destructive choices with the violent means at their disposal.
Recent Posts
In a Country That Needs Heroes, Here Are a Few Standouts This Election Season
Take Action Now Right now, the United States is unhappy enough to need a lot of heroes – and during this election year, many have emerged. Here are…
DSA Is Eyeing a 2028 AOC Presidential Run
Take Action Now Members of the Democratic Socialists of America are thinking seriously about a national presidential campaign for Alexandria…
Israel Is Accelerating Plans to Annex Neighboring Lands
Take Action Now Israel’s ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon and Gaza has reached a scale unseen since the Nakba. The history of Israel’s offensives…
The Democratic Party Still Hates the Left
Take Action Now The Democratic Party is terrified of even small liberal reforms and will not abide left leaning democrats thwarting their plans for…