Combat troops have officially left Iraq, but Americans still wonder if that war was worth it.
Is there a single rock in Iraq worth the lives of several thousand American soldiers who died there? Was it worth the billions of American tax dollars spent there? A dictator was removed from power, but what now?
It will be many years before a final judgment can be given. Military success in subduing that country may be short-lived. The dream of having Iraq as a democratic country in the Middle East has yet to be realized. A military victory doesn’t automatically translate into a long-term win.
And then there are the unintended consequences. In warring with Iraq, the U.S. took a counterbalance to Iran out of the picture. Did that contribute to Iran’s current move toward acquiring a nuclear arsenal?
It may be that history will judge the American venture into Iraq as having been the right move at the right time.
Or maybe not.
More likely, this costly war will be just a footnote to history, a short-term conflict that will, in the long run, make little difference to the security of America.
That over 4,000 American soldiers gave their lives for that should give us all pause.
Auburn handles new tax the right way
Although we have some qualms about the new stormwater tax Auburn officials imposed last week, at least the city handled the issue the correct way.
Unlike Winder, Auburn’s process toward implementing the new tax was done in the open and with invited public input.
That’s the way a city government is supposed to work. Governments are not kingdoms where a small group of people rule by decree; governments are supposed to represent the interest of those who elected them and who pay the taxes. That includes listening to the public.