The case for war against Iraq – a big fat lie? Surely not!

So it looks like our fellow US lapdog, Australia, is getting its own inquiry into the government’s case for invading Iraq. The issue seems far too important for any petty "We told you so"s, but the farce that’s been stumbling in the wake of the Iraq conflict is so risible, hell, it needs saying: we did tell you so.

I recall seeing some US Democrat being interviewed on CNN, an almost hurt expression barely buried in her face, voicing her growing suspicions that (wait for it) the Bush administration—no, really, brace yourself, take a seat and a good, deep breath—may have been less than honest in its appraisal of Iraq’s "weapons of mass destruction"! Or—God rise up from your shame and help us—they could have been outright lying.

I remember thinking about this woman’s position in the world. A large part of her job is to keep a close eye on what them there Republicans are up to in the White House, and to bloody well harangue them if they look like they might be veering off the straight and narrow. As far as I’m concerned, everyone in such a position who stands up now and acts like a betrayed little kid, feigning (I charitably assume) puzzlement at why a fraudulent oil industry dweeb might lie about motivations for attacking a country with vast oil reserves in a world heading for irreversible energy shortages—they should, at the very least, stand down in shame. At best, they should self-destruct in recompense by using what’s left of their power to expose as much of the rot in their profession as possible.

But in the end, it’s not just the politicians. There are the unquestioning masses, too, distracted by comfort or strife, barely able to admit to themselves how far out of control this world is. Why else would anyone believe the words of those who say they’re in control?