Should George W Bush be put on trial for Iraq?

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Interesting that the mainstream left-of-center media is actually pushing this narrative 20 years later when they would've been the first to condemn activists who said the same thing back then as un-patriotic.

Any way, the obvious answer is a hearty 'YES!'. If we had a real rules based international order that held world leaders to account for their crimes... Putin & Bush would both have been brought to justice by now for their illegal, brutal, pointless wars of aggression.

[Mercenary]

Probably, but I imagine every president, senator, congressman and most of their staff probably belong in prison.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Comparing Bush and Putin is completely ridiculous in every possible way . Bush was not a dictator and Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship. Most of the deaths in Iraq were also caused by Sunni Extremists , many who were led by high ranking members of Saddam’s military where they also were responsible for countless Iraqi deaths .

The vast majority of deaths in Ukraine is due to Putin and Russian separatists before that in while  in Iraq it was by Sunni insurgents who also were responsible for countless deaths when they were in power in Iraq .

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

No

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

No

[Sol]

Yes, of course.

[the artist formerly known as catmusic]

Absolutely he should be.

[T'Chenka]

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I'm going to lean towards "yes".

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Yes, in the middle of Baghdad for good measure

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

No, that's too easy a way out. We need to face up to the fact that the Iraq War was a failure of our overall political class and supported at first by a strong majority of voters.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

I was born in 2001 can someone explain the Bush War Criminal thing

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No, that's too easy a way out. We need to face up to the fact that the Iraq War was a failure of our overall political class and supported at first by a strong majority of voters.

You'd think 20 years later we'd at least not have a President and a Secretary of State who were big Iraq war supporters.

[Vice President Christian Man]

Interesting that the mainstream left-of-center media is actually pushing this narrative 20 years later when they would've been the first to condemn activists who said the same thing back then as un-patriotic.

Any way, the obvious answer is a hearty 'YES!'. If we had a real rules based international order that held world leaders to account for their crimes... Putin & Bush would both have been brought to justice by now for their illegal, brutal, pointless wars of aggression.

I think the double standard of the press is part of the reason why Putin is as popular as he is.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

There was no foreign court with jurisdiction over the many crimes George W. Bush was responsible for during his time in office. The only country, and justice system, with the practical authority to charge him for illegal wars, torture, and spying was run by men who took a long, hard look at the Bush administration's actions and said "eh, whatever". These men:



But that's hardly the whole story, either. Americans have a bad habit of looking at broken systems - policing, governance, military complex - and then pretending that blaming specific individuals while changing nothing is some sort of solution. It isn't. In a way, scapegoating is worse than doing nothing, because it creates the illusion that something useful is being done.

Rule of law is better than the alternative, and criminals should face consequences for their actions. But if we don't change systemically, we're not actually accomplishing anything more than teaching everyone "don't get caught, and if you get caught, don't let them hold you responsible". (A lesson Republicans have taken to heart, as exemplified by Trump and his cult... but even there, holding Trump accountable is only a single, tiny step. If we don't address the root causes behind Trump, we're going to get more like him.)

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Of course he should he brought down Saddam to give us an Iranian Puppet regime that's why a shoe was thrown at Bush W, he didn't change Iraq when they took down that statue even me was so proud but our military is an all volunteer army not a draft and we could not force a Democracy on Iraq like India

Just like now we can't fight a long war in Ukraine there is no draft Ukraine and Russia have Marshall law where men have to fight but we have diabetes in this country they want you fit and trim in the sixties and WWII people were thin naturally not now

It's almost impossible to stay 200 lbs for men

We should of been started a draft during Iraq War a select draft not all men go to war if you have flat feet, or Mental health or the only son you aren't drafted into combat, we could of improved Iraq more

Some thought Kerry was gonna start a Draft but a draft wouldn't have all men fight that's Marshall law that only happens like in Civil Wars during slavery or WWI or II

If you are fit and trim and have no mental health, sickle cell, flat feet or the only son you should be drafted between 18)26 and we would be able to fight in Ukraine, but we have a selected military for Border patrol they are on the Mexican and Russian borders and air force of course is NASA they pay Commission officers which are College Degree all that money to border patrol and other countries like Russia and Ukraine uses their military

[LBJer]

Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship.

Unprovoked aggression doesn't become magically okay if the country targeted is a dictatorship.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship.

Unprovoked aggression doesn't become magically okay if the country targeted is a dictatorship.

Iraq did try to murder a former American president and had also invaded an American ally in the past . To say it was completely unprovoked is just not true

[LBJer]

Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship.

Unprovoked aggression doesn't become magically okay if the country targeted is a dictatorship.

Iraq did try to murder a former American president and had also invaded an American ally in the past . To say it was completely unprovoked is just not true

Not an argument.  Neither of those things were supposedly the reasons why the U.S. invaded.  And they would have been weak reasons even if they were. 

Of course, you can argue that in reality W. did indeed do it to avenge his father, whether he consciously knew it or not. 

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Cheney should first for Iraq among other things, but yes.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship.

Unprovoked aggression doesn't become magically okay if the country targeted is a dictatorship.

Dictatorships have no legitimacy and don't deserve to be respected. The problem with the Iraq war was the consequences of it(though I've heard some arguments that Iraq has improved enough to make the war ultimately worth it, at least for Iraq itself. I'm not sure what I think about that, but it's not absurd on its face.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

There is absolutely no case for any international prosecution of Bush. Saddam had committed multiple acts of aggression against his neighbors and was continuing to violate sanctions and attack US planes. Hell, he's all but confirmed to have been behind an assassination attempt on an ex-President! You can think the war was foolish, unjustified, and detrimental to US interests, but it can only even be discussed as an "illegal war" if you assume the history began in 2001.

There might actually be a better case for domestic charges due to the deceptions, but the odds are there are no crimes on the books that reflect that.

No President is ever going to be prosecuted for things done in the course of the office because other Presidents fear that precedent. What sets Trump apart is that his criminal actions were designed to subvert the office.

[LBJer]

Iraq unlike Ukraine was a totalitarian dictatorship.

Unprovoked aggression doesn't become magically okay if the country targeted is a dictatorship.

Dictatorships have no legitimacy and don't deserve to be respected.

A country is more than its government.  And if there are no democratic institutions, why is a dictatorship necessarily an "illegitimate" government?  By your logic, was no 15th century government legitimate because none were democratic by today's standards?

[LBJer]

Saddam had committed multiple acts of aggression against his neighbors

Maybe China should attack the West Coast because of U.S. aggression against Indian tribes and Mexico.  And as was pointed out, "his neighbors" seemed to feel much less threatened by him than the U.S. supposedly did.  Ridiculous.  

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Saddam had committed multiple acts of aggression against his neighbors

Maybe China should attack the West Coast because of U.S. aggression against Indian tribes and Mexico.  As as was pointed out, "his neighbors" seemed to feel much less threatened by him than the U.S. supposedly did.  Ridiculous.  

K. I explained how he had committed acts of war on the US multiple times in the decade since he had waged a war of conquest against a neighbor.

When you start a war, are defeated and allowed to remain in power, then repeatedly provoke the victors, you're not the victim.

[LBJer]

Saddam had committed multiple acts of aggression against his neighbors

Maybe China should attack the West Coast because of U.S. aggression against Indian tribes and Mexico.  As as was pointed out, "his neighbors" seemed to feel much less threatened by him than the U.S. supposedly did.  Ridiculous.  

K. I explained how he had committed acts of war on the US multiple times in the decade since he had waged a war of conquest against a neighbor.

And none of what you mentioned constituted "acts of war on the U.S.," at least in the sense that would justify the 2003 invasion.