Living With War; Three Years Later

"My fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed, and now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." - George W. Bush, May 1, 2003

Today is the third anniversary of Bush's infamous declaration of "Mission Accomplished" and according to a new CNN poll, 9% of the American public still believe that's true. Who are these 9% who think we've accomplished our goals in Iraq?

We've removed Saddam Hussein from power, that's true. But that's about it. The country is as much - or more - of a terrorist recruiting ground as ever. The nation is still in chaos and the people are no better off for having voted a couple of times. The killing has barely slowed down, let alone come to an end. And there's no end in sight.

You know all that already. I just wanted to point out the anniversary. You come up with your own list of goals for U.S. involvement in Iraq and see how many you can check off.

Meanwhile, I'm listening to Neil Young's new album, Living with War. He has made it available as a free, streaming audio download, so if you haven't heard it yet, click the link and get rocking. It's one of Neil's best ever - certainly in recent years - and a fitting statement on where our country is heading. It's to the point, and yet somehow optimistic.

Tags: Iraq, mission accomplished, war, Neil Young