The Betrayal of Trust
At the time of the invasion, there were four BIG LIES. We were told that (1) we were threatened with weapons of mass destruction, (2) Saddam Hussein's government was responsible for 9/11, (3) we were going to spread democracy, and (4) the conflict would be short and easy with minimal damage at a total cost of about $100 billion. Every reason given for the invasion was a lie – no WMDs, no link between Iraq's government and terrorists, and no true democracy, and all the horrors that Cheney knew in advance would occur.
Now we have another betrayal, the BIG LIE – that the so-called 'surge' is working. With this Big Lie in place, occupation hawks will be especially well-positioned to blame the inevitable rise in violence and discord in Iraq on those patriotic Americans who are working to end the occupation. It has been accompanied by a key deception-by-omission where the 30 year oil contracts to U.S. companies and construction of permanent military bases are ignored by politicians and the mainstream media.
All the while, hundreds of thousands have been killed and maimed. Destruction is widespread. Conservative elites benefit from tax cuts and sky-rocketing profits while we get stuck with the $3 trillion bill, lost opportunities at home, and a crippled economy. Most of it was known in advance, planned, and carried out. A colossal betrayal.
We must reframe the debate and tell this story. This requires a shift of several ideas:
The invasion of Iraq was a betrayal of trust, not a poorly managed policy.
It is an occupation, not a war. So staying is not about trying to achieve "victory" and departing is not a surrender.
The escalation has failed, because it has not delivered meaningful political progress.
Congress is the decider, not the president.
This is the betrayal story we need to tell.