Not Safe For War: The Definitive List, Ten Years On

by Mark Ames, Yasha Levine, Gary Brecher

The story of the Iraq War can be told through its lists. The Axis of Evil list, the fake evidence listed by Colin Powell in his UN speech, the list of countries in the coalition of the willing, the playing- card hit list, the list of soldiers and civilians killed.But as we look back at the invasion, one list remains The definitive list of those who were most responsible for talking America and 48 other coalition countries into starting a disastrous war. The 100 people who, next time armed conflict seems imminent, must be kept as far away as possible from a podium, microphone, keyboard or battlefield. The Not Safe For War List.

Genres: War

75 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2013

Reviews

[Aaron Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

A list of 100 Iraq War cheerleaders along with some choice quotes might seem not only dated and petty but irrelevant - who really cares what people said about the decision to go to war 15 years ago? Well, not only is it useful to remember just how stupid people were back in early 2003, it's truly surprising how many of these guys are still around in some form or fashion, their careers undaunted by some of the most ill-advised chickenhawking in American history. From Bush administration stooges to awful Fox News commentators to liberal journalists who really should have known better, Ames, who has probably never dropped a grudge in his life, collects some choice nuggets of support for The Dumbest War. I wouldn't call this an essential read, or even necessarily all that meaningful in 2017 when taken on its own terms. But in the current renaissance of xenophobic bigotry that is the Trump era, perhaps we can't have too many reminders that hysteria and groupthink can hijack just about anyone's better judgment - maybe even yours. That the overwhelming majority of these people continued being rich and successful is almost unbearable, but in a way all of the present day is one big endurance test for bullshit, of which these were only some of the biggest producers. Will we ever learn?