Rating: 10
November 24, 2007
We all knew that the U.S. handling of Iraq was a mess. We even knew that our reasons for going in seemed mystifying.
But this documentary will help you see that repeatedly, the White House mishandled the war and particularly with reconstruction with complete ineptitude. Clearly, these are intelligent people, yet they ignore advice from top military experts with experience and made terrible decisions that turned an enthusiastic Iraqi population into a seething hotbed for insurgents. In the placement of leaders, it seems that the White House chose loyalty over competence.
This isn’t a Michael Moore film. It’s a balanced and objective story, and no matter what your view is on the validity of our military action against Saddam’s regime, it’s easy to see that the post-war efforts were unplanned and short-sighted compared to other times in history. (The U.S. planned for the reconstruction of Germany for two full years before the invasion at normandy — Iraq was given 60 days.) The frustration from those who were on the inside is palpable.
A Harvard professor calculates the direct and indirect costs of the war is estimated at $1.86 trillion. After watching “Maxed Out,” this seems even more grievous. And someone’s making the money, and it’s not the Iraqis.
I can only utter a prayer: “Lord, forgive us for what we’ve done.”
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