Death of Michael Ledeen, maker of the phony case for the invasion of Iraq

Human and Economic Costs / Opportunity Costs

• Commenters cite an estimated $2T cost and ~500k deaths, arguing resources could have gone to cancer research, infrastructure, or energy R&D instead.
• Examples: rebuilding millions of miles of roads; major advances in fusion or synthetic fuels (with pushback that “cold fusion” isn’t a money problem but a physics one).
• Eisenhower’s “cross of iron” speech is invoked to frame military spending as theft from social goods.

Saddam’s Dictatorship vs Post‑Invasion Chaos

• Broad agreement Saddam was a brutal tyrant, but many argue Iraq and the wider region were more stable under him.
• Post‑invasion: sectarian bloodshed, collapse of minorities (e.g., Christians fleeing), fertile ground for ISIS, spillover into Syria, and migration crises affecting Europe and fueling right‑wing politics.
• Some note that any regime change takes decades to normalize; others reject this as an excuse for neocon failures and stress the catastrophic occupation and power vacuum.

Why the U.S. Invaded: Competing Explanations

• Suggested drivers include: post‑9/11 paranoia; personal motives (revenge for 9/11, “finishing” the first Gulf War, Bush family ego); oil and control of prices; Halliburton‑style profiteering; generic imperialism and “making an example” of a disobedient state.
• Multiple comments reference neocon strategy documents (PNAC, “Rebuilding America’s Defenses,” Wolfowitz Doctrine, Yinon Plan) describing long‑term U.S. military dominance, regime change, and preventing rival powers.
• Another view: ideologically sincere but naïve belief that toppling Saddam would trigger a democratic wave in the Middle East; WMD was a knowingly false but expedient pretext. Several dispute that altruistic reading, insisting “freedom and democracy” rhetoric masks power and capital interests.

Propaganda, Media, and Public Opinion

• Several recall the Iraq prelude as a moment when propaganda power was painfully clear: weak evidence (e.g., infamous intel presentations) still easily sold war.
• Media enthusiasm (including public broadcasting) for being “embedded” and part of the story is noted.
• Parallels are drawn to information warfare around Israel–Gaza (e.g., disputed atrocity narratives), with claims that Americans are somewhat more skeptical now.

Democracy, Manipulation, and Disillusionment

• Some question whether democracy “works” if voters and representatives are so easily manipulated.
• Replies argue:
  • Manipulated electorates mean democracy is hollow, not that democracy is inherently bad.
  • An educated, well‑informed populace is a precondition; otherwise it becomes a contest in mass manipulation.
  • Others are more cynical, doubting any country has ever had a truly representative democracy.

Broader Geopolitics and Long‑Term Effects

• Comments suggest the “war on terror” squandered U.S. resources and focus while China expanded industrial and naval capacity.
• Some see a shift in U.S. right‑wing politics from overt global hegemony projects to inward‑looking nationalism, though interventionist doctrines and military programs persist.

Miscellaneous Threads

• Discussion of CIA’s poor record at engineering regime change from scratch.
• Criticism of occupation missteps (e.g., Bremer, de‑Baathification) as amplifying chaos.
• One recommendation of a recent deeply researched book on Saddam, the CIA, and the road to war.