Bits and bites on Iraq

Did anyone see Saddam's courtroom hearing on television? I swear, that guy is insane! The best was when he said "Bush is the real criminal". HEHEHE! Hmmm... lets see: Freedom of speech- Bush yes, Saddam no; State-run television airing continual propaganda- Bush no, Saddam yes; Gassing his own countrymen because they voice disapproval- Bush no, Saddam yes; Mass graves found scattered through country- Bush no, Saddam yes.

Of course, I see it now... Bush is a criminal! That filthy bastard! Someone really ought to invade the US and rescue their poor population from that murderous dictator! The people of the US live in squalor and fear and need to be liberated!
Ya know, I'm pretty pleased with what is going on in Iraq. There is major progress being made, and the handover of power two days early was icing on the cake. There is a long road ahead, and many people have died, but they did not die in vain. They died for something wonderful, and now 25 million Iraqis are beginning to taste what freedom is all about.
Recently I had a conversation with a man from California who expressed this sentiment:

The Iraqis may very well end up a lot better off than they were under Sadam (sic). But that doesn't justify the invasion.

For the anti-war crowd, justification is at the heart of the debate. They feel lied to by Bush, and even though they do not openly support Saddam, their stance on the war means that if they were right, Saddam would still be in power right now. For hardcore anti-war protestors, there is no justification at all. Nothing can be said to convince them that the war in Iraq is a good thing, and the broader war on terrorism is justified. Why do I say that nothing can convince them? Because there were plenty of reasons for invading Iraqlast year, and none of them seem to suffice. That fact that he enacted on his expansionistic ideology (ask Iran and Kuwait), snubbed his nose at the UN for twelve years, gassed his own people, tortured thousands, cheered after 9/11... not to mention the Weapons of Mass Destruction issue... he should not have been allowed to rule Iraq for as long as he did. "It's time, and long past time, to take out the trash."
Dipnut was right two years ago, and he is still right today.