March 19th, 2021 marks the 18th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The catastrophic warfare that followed claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis,

led to the death or life-altering injury of tens of thousands of U.S. service members,

and sowed chaos throughout the Middle

East.

We need a new system.

We need a new society.

We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago, but is not

only realizable, but an imperative necessity. Andy. The We're joined by Mike Prysner, the producer of the Empire Files.

Mike is also a co-host of the podcast, Eyes Left, a socialist military podcast hosted by two anti-war army veterans of the Afghan and Iraq

wars.

Mike Prysner was a soldier serving in the U.S. military during the Iraq invasion in 2003.

He went on to become an anti-war leader who organized soldiers and veterans to resist the Pentagon

War machine. Mike Prysner, welcome. Thanks for having me, Brian. Mike, before we get started,

I want to just set the stage for our audience by listening again to a short odious clip by George

W. Bush on that fateful night, March 19, 2003, where he tells the

American people the country is at war once again. Let's listen. My fellow citizens, at this hour,

American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq,

to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger.

On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance

to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war.

These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.

...