Understanding the Iraq War

Usually on this blog we deal with local and state issues that affect us here in Nashville and in Tennessee. Occasionally we go federal with those kooky kids in Washington. But one issue that all Americans have been dealing with for over four years now is the Iraq War. Most people have an opinion, but many do not have an educated one.

MSNBC just put out what can only be described as an educational piece about what's happening in Iraq. No spin, no left or right perspective, just a flat out description of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the now in Iraq as told by Richard Engel, NBC Middle East Correspondant.

Take a look, learn a few more facts you may not have known, and use this to better your discussions about the war. Like the continuing fall out of global climate change or the rising cost of our basic needs (health care, education and affordable housing to name a few), the war in Iraq looks to be something our generation will have to deal with for a very long time.

Whether we pull out tomorrow or not, this crisis is here and will be here for a while. At some point we, the American public, have to move on from the blaming and move towards resolution. We know who to blame. President Bush did a bad, bad thing. The neoconservative theory of spreading democracy with military power has failed. This much 60-plus percent of the American public knows now and the rest are continuing to learn.

But what are we going to do about it? How do we fix this problem? When we get past the name calling, what solutions do we have? And if there are no quality solutions from our leaders, then what does that mean on Election Day 2008? Consider these questions as you watch the piece.