Maybe it's too early for apologies

Maybe it's too early and there is not enough support yet, but I would like some apologies made. There were millions of us protesting this war. There were thousands, if not tens of thousands tracking down information and publishing articles regarding the truthfulness and credibility of the Bush Administration's claims about the importance of acting immediately to quash the threat of Saddam Hussein. There were the nations of the UN and those on the UN Security Council arguing that the information was not there and the threat was not there. Congress lambasted France for its "cowardly" lack of support and changed the french xxx items on the menu to freedom xxx. The corporate media rah rahed and flew the flag, while cable pundits called protesters traitors.

Now there are questions. Questions that should have been addressed before we ever sent troops to the region. The only reason that the Administration gave that was honest and still true is "regime change." But now the corporate media is asking questions - at least in a modest way. The concerns that many of us had were not "anti-American," they were real and everyone should have been demanding answers - not giving Mr. Bush war authority.

This is not a case of revisionist history, or hindsight is 20/20. Look back in this journal, or Truthout, or CommonDreams, or From The Wilderness, or umpteen other sources. And what response was heard? That we were traitors, or biased, or communist, or terrorist collaborators and supporters. We heard this publicly, and many of us heard it personally.

Now, way too late for Iraqi's dead and those struggling to survive; way too late for US and UK soldiers dead and wounded, and families waiting; way too late to call back the destruction; the questions and investigations start. Now, after the pot is broken and billions of dollars flow into the military-industrial complex coffers. Now, after the big campaign contributors and cronies are paid back with intertest.

But it is not too late to stop the corporatization of Iraq. It is not too late to come clean with the UN and the world and get international support to help Iraq rebuild itself. It is not too late for the US to step back and help the people of Iraq get their infrastructure and agriculture running so they can be self-supporting.

And it is not too late for the so-called "patriots" who called "dissenters" inflammatory names, and attempted to silence democracy to step forward and apologize.

In fact, Iraq will not move forward in independence until there is an acknowledgment and accounting here. As long as the lies live and the denial goes on, neither the government, nor the citizens of the US can cleanly and clearly address Iraq. In fact, we will likely see the whole mess repeated over and over again if we do not address this now.