Talk about starting out with a bang and ending up with a whimper! America has unceremoniously pulled out of Iraq after the “shock and awe” of this war was reduced to weariness and futility. With this evacuation, Iraq is now responsible for its own security because the enemy has not been routed and this land is still in danger. Lotsa luck.

What did this ambitious mission accomplish? It was a military action that killed thousands of people, laid waste a country, cost billions of dollars, alienated our allies, and polarized America. Did waging battle on foreign soil deter terrorism in the homeland? No. Credit for that goes to the CIA. But the brave troops putting their lives on the line had to be assured that their role was essential when it came to keeping this country safe from the bad guys. Did the killing of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin ladin avenge 911? Maybe. If moral victories count for something.

“O, say can you see by the dawn’s early light?” No. The sun is setting on the American empire! “USA! USA! USA!” Hollow victory chants. There are no winners in the political wars now wracking this country. Watta hot mess.

There have been a lot of stories about returning veterans suffering from PTSD, permanently crippled, homeless, jobless, loosing homes. What a shame.

Maybe one day someone will do a investigative report and research the real reason we went into Iraq, what we accomplished and what it really cost not just in terms of money, but in terms of lives lost and destroyed.