I spent the evening at the UT Law Library listening to retired Col. Ann Wright detail all of the nonsense, spin, exaggerations and lies of the Bush Administration in its propaganda effort to sell the Iraq 'threat' to the American citizens some 5 years ago.

Today we read that the Pentagon, after studying 600,000 records seized in Iraq, that there was no al-Qaeda connection to Saddam despite the continual efforts of Dick Cheney to link them.

The 5th anniversary of the war is 9 days from now. Many folks who stood with me on the street corners of Toledo back in that cold winter of 2002-2003 were in attendance at that gathering last evening. There were no smirks on our faces as Col. Wright detailed the lies and listed the liars; we did not revel in the fact that we got it right, especially on the day when 8 more U.S. soldiers were killed in Baghdad.

We are taking to the streets, so to speak, once again with the stark reminder of the consequences of this ugly war: 5000 tombstones set out on the grounds of the Lucas County Courthouse- the Arlington West project. Perhaps now that 70% of America has awakened to this idiotic war, this display will help the citizens demand that this war be ended.

I think back to 2003 and the infamous 'Shock 'n Awe' bombs bursting over Baghdad and the jubilation, as if it were a sporting event, felt by so many Americans- citizens conned into believing that Saddam was responsible for our 9-11 tragedy. Flags flew from cars and homes throughout the month of March all across town. As in a sports event, we high-fived each other and shouted 'We're #1" Patriotic fervor that Emerson warned against swept us up, dulling our brains.

Clear Channel held 'patriotic rallies' in their parking lot. Remember those events? Now defunct WSPD radio jock Bob Frantz led the cheers both there an on his radio program. He was the #1 cheerleader for the Bush War. He still is, now spewing forth in Cleveland. He and I had many go-rounds on his blog during those days and I was banned from the blog because he couldn't beat my arguments no matter how ugly his rhetoric became towards me. Recently he called me 'Mike Ferner' in an ugly email, denouncing Ferner as a traitor. The poor, warped man.

Those were the days, that was the ugly patriotic fervor that swept up our nation. A staggering figure of 90% of Americans 'bought' the Saddam-al-Qaeda link, the mushroom cloud scenario, WMD's, the aluminum tubes, the enriched uranium from Africa, and all of the other propaganda piped into our cars and living rooms by agents of the government like Clear Channel radio and WSPD.

How foolish we were back then; how gullible. Our need for revenge blinded us such that we were willing to substitute Saddam for bin Laden. At what cost? Trillions in dollars, thousands in lives. Have we learned a lesson from this blunder? I don't know and wouldn't bet on it. We Americans have a short memory which is exactly why scoundrels find the political arena a marvelous stage for their plans.