whether the average Iraqi was better off living under the tyrant, Saddam Hussein. I don't believe that either the media or our government is telling us the whole story about Iraq. But no matter how much may be omitted or spin served, things are far from good there, especially in Baghdad.
I don't see how the Iraqi people can have the courage to live there. It's likely that they can't afford to move, as many of those who could afford to leave have done so.
Could things have been worse for the average Iraqi under Saddam? For some, sure; they are no longer here and probably suffered considerably in this life. But for the storekeeper, the farmer, the oil worker, things were probably not as bad as long as he kept quiet. He had electricity enough to turn the lights on. His kids went to school (where they were likely indoctrinated). She could shop without fear. You didn't worry that you might be kidnapped if a traffic cop stopped you. You had nothing to fear when you went to the mosque. Where do I stop this list?
And as Reagan famously asked, "Are we better off today than 3+ years ago?" It is far from "morning in America". More than 3000 of our youngsters have died. Many more have had their lives shattered. We have spent an inordinate amount of money on killing and destroying rather than on creating and repairing. We have jailed people without cause for years. We have spied on our fellow citizens. Where do I stop this list?
My early memories are suffused with images of America, the liberator of the oppressed, the vanquisher of tyrants, the land of the free, the home of the brave. What will the memories of my kids and grandkids be?
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