I opposed the Iraq War from the beginning on pragmatic grounds. It was my opinion that any attempt to impose democratic values on Iraq was bound to be a bloody failure, and that the ultimate beneficiary of the war would be Iran, which would no longer be checked by Saddam. I was right on both counts.
Today, a few people view the war as a noble experiment executed poorly, while some call it a crime. My questions for today are:
- Is Iraq better off as a result of the war?
- Is the US better off as a result of the war?
- Is the whole world better off as a result of the war?
My responses are as follows:
- If you’re an Iraqi, it depends on who you are. If you’re a Shiite, and you didn’t lose any friends or family members, you are probably better off today than you were under Saddam. Otherwise, you aren’t. How this adds up numerically, I have no idea.
- The US is unquestionably worse off as a result of the war. We lost thousands of troops, a huge sum of money, and a lot of credibility making the world a better place for Iran.
- The Middle East is more unstable as a result of the war. IS would not have come into being without the war. Democratic values were discredited. The world is worse off as a result.
In short, the war was a dreadful blunder, and we will be living with its consequences for decades to come.