I feel like we're always swimming against the tide of history. Unfortunately, the war IS happening. Saddam WAS in power. The real answer I suppose is to stop installing and supporting dictators in the first place.
Here's an example of people trying to do the right thing now to prevent similar situations in the future...
http://www.soaw.org/new/newswire_detail.php?id=443
But that in itself is simplistic. Imperialism has to be viewed in terms of macro-economics, and cultural aggression.
In a society that insists upon competition, conflict is inevitable. More than inevitable. Encouraged and facilitated. When was the last time the US had no enemy to rail against? No excuse to spend uncounted trillions on armaments?
I don't want to single out the USA, because although it's the powerhouse of capitalism, it's by no means unique. Dont blame the nation, blame the system.
I'm a utopian socialist. I'm proud to be that, and I believe that until we abolish nation states and competitive cultural and economic ethoses (if that's the correct plural) then such conflicts will continue.
Unfortunately, how I get from here to where I want to be...
*scratches head and stares at ceiling
The dice are loaded. Western Democracy will never generate significant change. Yet I see no sign of any mass movement that could change things.
Perhaps when the oil runs out, things will have to change, but I suspect that the conflict over the last supplies may yet bring civilisation as we know it to an end.
Frederick Engels described the choice as between socialism and barbarism. I think this is still as true today.
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