🇺🇸 Two Decades Later

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Good morning, and happy Wednesday! The memory of a true patriot should never wane nor be forgotten. This is a guiding principle for military mom Anne Leavy-Prial after the tragic death of her son, National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Prial, a little over two years ago. Officer Prial 'just loved the United States,' his mom said. Here’s her tribute.

Plus, rocks made of plastic were found in Brazil.

Also, today’s partner, Yes Hearing, provides you with advanced affordable hearing aids and Audiologist care in the comfort of your home. Learn more and book a free consultation.

FLAG POLLS

🐘 Friday, March 17, Florida Republican Presidential Primary 2024: Trump 47, DeSantis 44, Pence 4, Haley 2, Pompeo 1, T. Scott 1 (Emerson)

🟰 Friday, March 17, Florida - Trump vs. Biden: Trump 44, Biden 44 (Emerson)

🐘 Friday, March 17, Florida - DeSantis vs. Biden: DeSantis 46, Biden 43 (Emerson)

📉 Tuesday, March 21, President Biden Job Approval: Approve 47, Disapprove 51 (Rasmussen Reports)

TRENDING

Left: Is Ron DeSantis Slipping? Douglas Schoen, The Hill

Left: Why Biden's Honeymoon With Progressives Is Ending Jonathan Chait, NY Mag

Left: Ukraine Should Reject Any Russian-Chinese Ceasefire Plan John Kirby, CNN

Right: Do They Teach Law at Yale Law School Anymore? J. Christian Adams, PJ Media

Right: Why Ukraine May Embrace China's Peace Plan David P. Goldman, Asia Times

Right: Neocons Prove They've Learned Nothing Nathanael Blake, The Federalist

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QUICK CLICKS

Trump's Legal Troubles, Economic Deal Is a Demonstration, School Strike for 4,000 Students

US: Ron DeSantis rips Trump's character, chaotic leadership style (NY Post) + Trump legal team asks appeals court to halt his lawyer’s testimony in Mar-a-Lago documents probe (CNN) + MAGA protesters in Manhattan crowded out by anti-Trump rivals (POLITICO)

World: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping sign economic deal in latest demonstration of 'friendship without limits' (Fox News)

US: Supreme Court hands victory to public school students with disabilities (NPR)

US: 400,000 Los Angeles Students Missed School As Union Employees Launch 3-Day Strike Demanding Better Wages, Benefits (Daily Wire)

World: At least 9 killed after powerful earthquake rocks Pakistan and Afghanistan (CBS News)

Tech: Google CEO tells employees that 80,000 of them helped test Bard A.I., warns ‘things will go wrong’ (CNBC)

WAR

Two Decades Later

Monday marked the 20th anniversary of when the Iraq War began. On March 20, 2003, the first air strikes were carried out as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, several days after former President George W. Bush had given Saddam Hussein a deadline to leave Iraq.

Reporting from the Left: Two decades on, trauma from America’s war continues to haunt Iraqis (CNN)

Reporting from the Right: The Iraq War 20 years later: Delta Force operators recall hunting Saddam Hussein (Fox News)

From the Flag: President Bush said the attacks were intended to “disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.” Some believed the Iraqi government under Hussein had possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), while others considered the war to be based on false pretenses. Here’s more from both sides.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

The Iraq War’s Legacy: Loss of Life, Standing, and Trust

• The war’s numerous and widespread failures – and its hasty, fear-induced justification – harmed the public’s trust in political leaders.

• While the US continues to observe negative outcomes as a result of the invasion, China opted for diplomacy – to its benefit.

• Iraq is a prime example of how our military is routinely put into untenable and unwinnable situations overseas.

“Two Decades Later, the Iraq War Is Hard to Defend” Gerard Baker, Wall Street Journal Opinion: “If we are going to play the alternative-history game, think how the region might have been different if the US had taken advantage of the extraordinary solidarity that obtained after 9/11 to advance its long-term security rather than, through hubris and ineptitude, surrender much of the territory to Islamo-fascists, theocratic mullahs and the butcher in the Kremlin. Much worse is the damage the war did to the fabric of American democracy. The American people were terrified by their government into war, with the bogus menace of nuclear weapons wielded by a man with bogus connections to the 9/11 terrorists. They were promised a war that would be a cakewalk followed by an occupation in which their sons and daughters would be greeted with sweets and flowers. This cloud castle of fictions did incalculable damage to the bonds of trust between Americans and their leaders.”

“20 Years Later: US Humiliation in Iraq Was China’s Gain” Andrew Bacevich, The American Conservative: “Who won? Well, not the United States, that’s for sure. It appears increasingly that the victor’s laurels belong to the People’s Republic of China… Rather than a go-for-broke war of choice, China opted for diplomacy. That effort now shows signs of paying off. Looking past the fog of propaganda generated by Bush and his lieutenants, Operation Iraqi Freedom had almost nothing to do with freeing Iraqis. Its actual purpose was to crush any doubts about who calls the shots in the Persian Gulf. The humiliation of 9/11—the United States unable to fend off a brutal attack by nineteen hijackers—had called American regional primacy into question. A quick, decisive victory over Saddam Hussein would teach an object lesson to any nation or group tempted to have a go at the United States. Alas, the war did not follow the Bush administration’s script.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: The Iraq War Began 20 Years Ago, but Its Impact Will Last Decades To Come Jason Beardsley, Newsweek

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Looking Back Is Illustrative, But Where Will Iraq Go From Here?

• It’s largely irrelevant to wonder if removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right move; the real question is, what can Iraq do for its future?

• The war itself and its aftermath are fairly questioned, but the Iraqi people had little chance of a peaceful transition from Hussein.

• It’s important to note the media failed with regards to the Weapons of Mass Destruction claim, which was never proven.

“Was toppling Saddam Hussein worth it? The answer isn’t straightforward” Peter Bergen, CNN Opinion: “There is little question Saddam was one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century. He killed as many as 290,000 of his own people, according to Human Rights Watch. … To those who say: ‘Was it all worth it, toppling Saddam?’ … that may be missing the point today. (Iraq) sits on the third largest oil reserves in the world. It should be one of the richest countries in the Middle East, but instead the cancer of endemic corruption has eaten away at government institutions and international companies are often hesitant to invest in Iraq. … The 2,500 US troops that remain in Iraq today provide not just help to the Iraqi military, but also make a political statement that the United States plans to stay engaged in Iraq for the foreseeable future – rather than abandoning the country as it did in Afghanistan.”

“The Iraq War Reconsidered” David Frum, The Atlantic: “Saddam had shut down his efforts to build a nuclear bomb as well as his biological-warfare program. … The United States went to war to build a democracy in Iraq. That did not work well either. … Millions of refugees headed toward Europe, upending the politics of that continent. … I supported the war… I shared the broad bipartisan post-9/11 consensus that the United States must act more preemptively against organizations and states that used terrorism as a tool—as Saddam’s Iraq had undoubtedly done in the past. … The one scenario that seems extremely unlikely to have occurred in Saddam’s Iraq: a peaceful transition of power to a better government. Mass violence was coming in that country. For Americans, it would probably have been better if the US had kept its distance from the brewing trouble inside Iraq. Whether Iraq had an alternative future… seems very doubtful to me.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: The 20th anniversary of the Iraq war also marks a colossal failure of the mainstream media Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times

FLAG THIS

6 in 10 Say Iraq Invasion Shouldn’t Have Happened

A new poll shows 61% of Americans now believe the US did not make the right decision by invading Iraq (Axios/Ipsos).

Things were different 20 years ago, when 66% of Americans approved of military action, compared with just 26% who disapproved.

With 9/11 fresh on Americans minds, 83% said the attack was justified if Iraq had provided help to terrorists (Pew Research).

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

Stamp Act Passed, How to Lucid Dream, No McDonalds in Iceland

On This Day in 1765: In an effort to raise funds to pay off debts and defend the vast new American territories won from the French in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the British government passes the Stamp Act, taxing everything from newspapers and pamphlets to playing cards and dice.

WIRED: How to Lucid Dream (Even if You Think You Can’t)

Lifehacker: The Most Confusing Car Insurance Terms Every Driver Should Learn

Pocket: A Dozen Brilliant Recipes Starring the Humble Egg

Today I Learned Iceland has no McDonald's restaurants anywhere in the country. The fast-food chain left Iceland in 2009 as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis and subsequent high tariffs on imported ingredients, which would've required Mickey D's to raise its famously-low prices.