Bad News in Iraq?

It may seem like an odd argument to make, but perhaps the very fact that there have been setbacks in Iraq could be good news in the big picture. It could also be argued that much of what we see covered by the media is the good news from Iraq. We don’t see the innocents killed, the soldiers coffins-all the sights, smells, and sounds of war are muted by the television and editors not wanting to anger corporate advertisers. Can it be that the best news that is coming out of Iraq right now is that it is only a simmering civil war, instead of a full-blown one? Imagine if reporters were allowed to send out pictures unfiltered, like what happened with Katrina.

But back to my first point. Is it a good thing that Iraq has not been fully subdued? It is a sad and terrible tragedy, getting more sad as time goes on. But imagine if Iraq would have folded nicely into the corporate empire if the far right? Where would the news be coming from now? Iran? Syria? Would our troops and resources be spread throughout the region? Might we be paying 6.00 per gallon for gas now? With deficits even more out of control? Could the image of America throughout the world be even more tarnished?

In the end, Iraq may well prove to be the stopper that keeps our Dominionist President from his higher aspirations. We can only hope so. If the fall election fails to return a balance to American government, he may still get his way. In closing, we should all be saddened by what has happened. We should mourn for all those who have lost their lives, all those who have been wounded. And we can only hope that their sacrifices are not in vain, that ultimately a more sane approach to world events comes out of Washington and the world.