Some countries invest in international economic development to foster trade and peace--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificually induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear."--General Douglas MacArthur"

See: Best Minds Join Iraqi Exodus, Middle East Times, 11.15.06
See: The other failure in Iraq: The Economy, TruthOut.org
See: Civilian death toll reaches new high, UN says, International Herald Tribune, 11.22.06
Image: Web capture.

Some countries have an objective free press that challenges official assertions--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"All governments lie."--I.F. Stone

See: Washington Post Equals White House Propaganda, Crooks & Liars, 11.28.06
See: Some US media decide to call Iraq strife a 'civil war', Agence France Presse, 11.28.06
See: Does the Media Have It Right on the War?, Michael Schwartz, TomDispatch.com, 03.28.06
Image: Web capture.

Some countries honor treaty agreements--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"This war did not spring up on our land, this war was brought upon us by the children of the Great Father who came to take our land without a price, and who, in our land, do a great many evil things. This war has come from robbery--from the stealing of our land."--Spotted Tail

See: Indigenous Peoples' Resistance to Economic Globalization, Democracy Now!, 11.23.06
See: Native Groups Mourn on Thanksgiving Day, CommonDreams.org, 11.21.01
See: Why I Hate Thanksgiving, Dan Cohen, CounterPunch, 11.25.04
See: Who Says Racism is Unfashionable?, Velorution Gauchiste
Image: Web capture.

Some countries provide wholesome food for everyone regardless of paycheck size--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."--John Adams

See: Dark secrets of Whole Foods, Slate, 03.17.06
See: Welcome to Whole-Mart, CommonDreams, 05.02.06
See: Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy
Image: Web capture.

Some countries export useful products to the world--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot."--Thomas Paine

See: Foreign Sales by U.S. Arms Makers Doubled in a Year, New York Times, 11.11.06
See: Military Industrial Complex
Image: Web capture.

Some countries spend more money building schools than prisons--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other."--James Madison

See: PrisonSucks.com
See: Critical Resistance
See: The Prison Industrial Complex, The Atlantic, 12.98
Image: Web capture.

Some countries provide a home for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket."--General Smedley Butler

See: Veterans for Peace
See: Veterans Against The Iraq War
See: Create Peace at Home
Image: Web capture.

Some countries have balanced budgets--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"All wars are fought for money."--Socrates

See: The Bush Budget Deficit Death Spiral, CommonDreams.org, 10.22.04
See: After the New Economy: The Binge and the Hangover That Won't Go Away
See: The Boom and The Bubble: The US in the World Economy
Planet of Slums
Image: Web capture.

Some countries honor their neighbors' sovereignty, promote human rights, encourage democracy, and respect international law--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."--Dom Helder Camara

See: Ortega’s Likely Return Seen As a Blow to US Policy, CommonDreams.org, 11.07.06
See: In Nicaragua, a Chavez Wave?, CounterPunch.org, 11.07.06
See: 11th Hour Election Meddling by the US: Targeting Nicaraguans' Stomachs, CounterPunch.org, 10.31.06
See: The Forging Of The American Empire: From the Revolution to Vietnam
See: Chomsky: Rogue States
Image: Web capture. Sandinista supporters celebrating the election of Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua.

Some countries have principled, consistent, and democratic governments--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."--Tacitus

See: Saddam's Unindicted Co-Conspirator: Donald Rumsfeld, Norman Solomon, 11.06.06
See: The Saddam in Rumsfeld’s Closet, ZNet.org, 08.02.02
See: Video of 1983 Meeting Between Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein, YouTube.com
See: Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein, National Security Archive
See: Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
See: WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception
Image: Web capture, Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein in December, 1983, just 18 months after the Dujail massacre--the primary charge resulting in Hussein's conviction for crimes against humanity--and five years before the Halabja poison gas attack.

Some countries have free, open, and honest elections--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes."--attributed to Joseph Stalin

See: 'Hacking' Casts Doubts on Electronic Voting, CommonDreams.org, 11.01.06
See: Election 2006: Campaign Spending Hits New Heights, NPR, 10.21.06
See: US election ads trawl the gutter, AFP, 10.27.06
See: Greg Palast, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
See: Noam Chomsky, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy
Image: Web capture.