Do you remember the start of the Iraq War?

[Crumpets]

In a couple weeks, we'll be at the 14th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. In 2015 I did a poll on who remembered 9/11, and I was pretty surprised by how low the numbers were, two years on, I'm curious how many people here were old enough to remember the start of the Iraq War, especially the lead up, votes, and (dis)information campaigns that got so many people gung-ho about giving Saddam some good old Shock and Awe.

For me, yes. I was in third grade, and we had a field trip that day to a "pioneer farm." It was the same day I learned how to milk a cow for the first time. That night, I watched the coverage on CNN and remember being super excited as a nine year old to watch bombs fall on the "bad guys" and see the big explosions light up the night sky over Baghdad.

[Lief 🗽]

Yes, I was watching TV at night and they cut from regular programming to go live to footage of the United States bombing Baghdad.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Kinda.

[OSR stands with Israel]

no I was only 6 then

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

no I was only 6 then

So?

[ApatheticAustrian]

sure too.

over-politicized teen, who didn't understand at all how anybody could construct a war out of seemingly nothing, even while mister hussein offered to step away if let alone.

peak of my anti-US-bias-cyclus.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

sure too.

over-politicized teen, who didn't understand at all how anybody could construct a war out of seemingly nothing, even while mister hussein offered to step away if let alone.

peak of my anti-US-bias-cyclus.

-Better if you had stayed at that peak.

[ApatheticAustrian]

Better if you had stayed at that peak.

you must really be the biggest friend of this country, sir.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Better if you had stayed at that peak.

you must really be the biggest friend of this country, sir.

-I am.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I remember Jon Stewart's rather scathing attacks on it still pretty vividly.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I remember Jon Stewart's rather scathing attacks on it still pretty vividly. I was a college freshman.

Also you young ones might not realize this or remember it, but The Daily Show didn't have the reputation at the time it does now. Jon Stewart was pre-hosting regarded as a second tier actor who played supporting roles in mediocre comedies, he had a talk show on MTV for awhile that was mostly interviewing B and C-list celebrities prior to it, but no one would've thought of him as a hard hitting political satirist. And that's because The Daily Show under Craig Kilborn and Stewart's early days wasn't a political show at all, it was mostly a parody of trashy TV tabloids and celebrity gossip shows like you see on E! The political slant didn't really develop until the 2000 election provided it with a wealth of material and caught the eye of many liberals. But in early 2003 the idea that The Daily Show was delivering a scathing criticism of the President leading the country to war was still a bit hard to fathom, and would've been unthinkable four years earlier.

[ApatheticAustrian]

in fact, stewart was a stronger voice against bush for a generation of teens than mister noah could ever hope to become against trump.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I remember Jon Stewart's rather scathing attacks on it still pretty vividly. I was a college freshman.

Also you young ones might not realize this or remember it, but The Daily Show didn't have the reputation at the time it does now. Jon Stewart was pre-hosting regarded as a second tier actor who played supporting roles in mediocre comedies, he had a talk show on MTV for awhile that was mostly interviewing B and C-list celebrities prior to it, but no one would've thought of him as a hard hitting political satirist. And that's because The Daily Show under Craig Kilborn and Stewart's early days wasn't a political show at all, it was mostly a parody of trashy TV tabloids and celebrity gossip shows like you see on E! The political slant didn't really develop until the 2000 election provided it with a wealth of material and caught the eye of many liberals. But in early 2003 the idea that The Daily Show was delivering a scathing criticism of the President leading the country to war was still a bit hard to fathom, and would've been unthinkable four years earlier.

Speaking of, I am forced to recall, a few years ago, the disgusting smugness of one of my mother's college friends stating that she got all of her information on news and current events from Mr. Stewart (this was, I believe, sometime during President Obama's first term, though perhaps late into it).

[ApatheticAustrian]

Speaking of, I am forced to recall, a few years ago, the disgusting smugness of one of my mother's college friends stating that she got all of her information on news and current events from Mr. Stewart (this was, I believe, sometime during President Obama's first term, though perhaps late into it).

horrible.

in fact mister stewart himself pointed out several times, that this behaviour wouldn't inform anyone and his work would mostly connect with those, who are pretty informed in the first place.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

4th Grade at the time. I remember the first bombs being dropped, I remember Bush speaking at the UN, I remember when they tore down Saddam's statue, and I remember when Saddam was found.

[OSR stands with Israel]

no I was only 6 then

So?

when I was 6 the only thing I watched on TV was PBS Kids shows, Blazer Basketball , Disney and pixar movies , and the only news i followed was the 7 day weather forecast.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Of course. Fun times.

[Dr. Arch]

Yes, I was watching TV at night and they cut from regular programming to go live to footage of the United States bombing Baghdad.

I remember this exactly.

[Mr. Smith]

Yup, and I remember everyone in town wondering even then, why?

[Santander]

Yes, and I was a big cheerleader for it.

[TDAS04]

Absolutely, I was in ninth grade.  I followed it closely, but didn't have a strong opinion.  A few years later, I knew it was a blunder.

I actually watched a little FOX News during the lead-up.  They were obviously cheering for war and they engaged in lots of juvenile France-bashing, which also seems ridiculous now.

[courts]

yes. i thought it was a pretty bad idea at the time. i didn't go to any protests though unlike some people i know.

[Xing]

Yes, I was in 7th grade, and I attended an anti-Iraq War protest at the time.

[Sumner 1868]

Yes, there was still a lot of pro-Bush sentiment in my town at that point in time.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yes (born 1988).