Iraq. For those of us steeped in fighting our government's occupation of Iraq, the list of descriptors for the war roll off our tongue in our debates on subways and in supermarket lines: illegal, immoral, unjust, unnecessary... Visual representations of the horrors in Iraq flash through our minds daily, fill up our email in-boxes: civilians being tortured, parents holding dead or dying babies, children with missing limbs, battered faces, screaming in pain. We see soldiers and Marines kicking down doors, parents cowering over their children in feeble attempts to shield them. We see men shackled, in hoods, dressed in orange if dressed at all, attack dogs lunging at them.
And then we hear of the activism of ordinary people nationwide, who are demanding that the billions -- no, the trillions -- of dollars being poured into the coffers of Halliburton, Raytheon, Northrup Grumman, and the like be instead invested into maintaining a healthy society here: into our crumbling schools, our failing health care system, pension plans for our elders, and job training for our youth.