There is a lot of commentary around these days, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war. They span the political spectrum and are both critical or self serving reflections, depending on your POV. However, all seem to be painfully aware of the cost of this great Imperial preemptive action which arose from this basic imperative:
What drove events was the imperative of claiming for the United States prerogatives allowed no other nation.
Sound familiar?
