I guess it is finally ‘official.’ The war in Iraq is over; the last troop is gone. While supposedly objective journalists are reporting the toll on Americans due to this war of almost nine years, I think of the price the people of Iraq paid. When burglars storm a home and leave, should we focus on the cost to the burglars and their families? Do we repeatedly talk about how many burglars lost their lives in process, almost completely ignoring those whose home in which they barged in and controlled for the duration?

It is true that this move of aggression is has cost Iraq much more than Americans. It makes me extremely sad when I see and hear Americans celebrating and giving props to U.S. administrators who are leaving this nation of human beings rundown and dilapidated.

It was not too long ago that most of us called this war illegal. Many Americans, and people elsewhere in the world, condemned the overt practice of raping a sovereign nation for selfish motives. Will this all be forgotten for the simple joy of knowing U.S. troops are no longer directly involved in this one of many imperial wars? When the burglars leave the home, is that the end of it?

We know that U.S. troops killed hundreds of thousands unarmed non-combatants–men, women, and children–during their stay. We know that a few were tried for horrendous acts. We know that most had their cases, dismissed, charges dropped, or received reduced sentences. We, also, know that there are a host of others who have not been charged. We know that they got away with it. Not specifically the individual soldiers and Marines who may have taken part in vicious acts, but two executive administrations of the Unitied States and corporations in the business of profiting from pain and destruction.

This is not a win. This is not a joyous occasion. When the rapist walks away from the battered woman, you don’t cheer. Well, at least, I do not. People who care about that woman rush to her side to help. People do not send others with ill-motives to ‘help’ her–especially when that was the was the reason for the rapist using such force to begin with. The rapist could have very well been trying to leave her in a position where it appeared anyone rushing to her side was a friend.

Now, what we will see is U.S. businesses, the same ones who lobbied to started this illegal war, rushing in to ‘help’ the nation of Iraq to rebuild herself after years of abuse by a man who forced himself upon her. Anyone arguing on the sides of those corporations argues on the side the side of President George W. Bush. It would mean the lies of weapons of mass destruction were worthy ones. This would mean the immeasurable cost of Iraqi lives was worth whatever dollar amount American corporations can place on them. It suggests it is proper for Americans born without those silver spoons to sacrifice their lives so other Americans can upgrade to gold ones. It would mean that lives of other people around the world should be sacrificed for something as petty as American jobs.