--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The illegal 2003 invasion had little to…" description: "\"The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Instead, the real freedoms and benefits were dest..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg" --- # The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating… ![“The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Instead, the real freedoms and benefits were destined to go to corporations like Halliburton and others that stood to gain from the privatisation of the formerly state-owned Iraqi economy.” quote by John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg) > “The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Instead, the real freedoms and benefits were destined to go to corporations like Halliburton and others that stood to gain from the privatisation of the formerly state-owned Iraqi economy.” [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The 2003 invasion's promised liberation was a pretext for corporate profit, not genuine freedom for Iraqis. **In simple terms:** Invasion claimed freedom but mainly helped corporations. Key Takeaway Question whose interests truly benefit from war. Themes politics corporate power war ethics Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy analysis - human rights advocacy - economic reform - public debate Key Concepts neoliberalism resource exploitation geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - Who truly gains from military interventions? - How can citizens hold corporations accountable? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitics can obscure motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) ## Related quotes > [If anything caused ISIS, it was the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-javad-zarif/if-anything-caused-isis-it-was-the-2003-u-s-invasion-of-iraq/) [Mohammad Javad Zarif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-javad-zarif/) > [“One of the errors of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was the belief that regime change must be creative. The theory was that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/one-of-the-errors-of-the-2003-invasion-of-iraq-was-the-belief-that/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [But for the media to name their coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq the same as what the Pentagon calls it—everyday seeing 'Operation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/but-for-the-media-to-name-their-coverage-of-the-2003-invasion-of-iraq/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [In my day, we had mastered high-intensity conflict, which is why I think we were so successful in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/in-my-day-we-had-mastered-high-intensity-conflict-which-is-why-i/) [Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/) > [ “\[...\] dictatorship, the most extreme form of tyranny, can never lead to social liberation.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/dictatorship-the-most-extreme-form-of-tyranny-can-never-lead-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I never thought about becoming a politician. But during the military dictatorship, my grandfather was put in prison six times and my father twice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/i-never-thought-about-becoming-a-politician-but-during-the-military/) [George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/) > [The dictatorship of the proletariat and the leadership of the Marxist-Leninist party are indispensable conditions for the triumph of the Socialist revolution and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/the-dictatorship-of-the-proletariat-and-the-leadership-of-the-marxist/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“. Despite the considerable horror they had felt when the SA men were bellowing crude anti-Semitic slogans, in retrospect the joke-tellers were very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-herzog/despite-the-considerable-horror-they-had-felt-when-the-sa-men-were/) [Rudolph Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-herzog/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The situation with Tibet has to change. China is one of the last huge dictatorships, holding on to these colonies, provinces. That has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/the-situation-with-tibet-has-to-change-china-is-one-of-the-last-huge/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) ## More by John McDonnell > [Going to university is, and should be, so much more than a mechanical process of grinding out a degree qualification for a pre-determined career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/going-to-university-is-and-should-be-so-much-more-than-a-mechanical/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [The arrogant view that young people don't count because they don't vote has thankfully been smashed for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-arrogant-view-that-young-people-don-t-count-because-they-don-t/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Well organised displays of spontaneous support is one of the New Labour machine's specialities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/well-organised-displays-of-spontaneous-support-is-one-of-the-new/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Labour will only survive in government if we can restore the sense of mission upon which it was founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/labour-will-only-survive-in-government-if-we-can-restore-the-sense-of/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [The spread of information technology and the long-term decline in the cost of computing power have created opportunities that simply did not exist before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-spread-of-information-technology-and-the-long-term-decline-in-the/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [When I left school I went onto the shop floor, working 12-hour shifts in a TV factory. My workmates were sharp, skilled and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/when-i-left-school-i-went-onto-the-shop-floor-working-12-hour-shifts/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [The New Labour political elite has long conspired to secure a so-called 'smooth transition' for Blair's successor. This would amount to little more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-new-labour-political-elite-has-long-conspired-to-secure-a-so/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [If the government is injecting public money, it should also take the right to oversee board appointments, executive pay, and future business operations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/if-the-government-is-injecting-public-money-it-should-also-take-the/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Only the political process offers the real prospect of a united Ireland at peace with itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/only-the-political-process-offers-the-real-prospect-of-a-united/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Producing more reams of detailed policies that have marginal and limited effects on our society is futile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/producing-more-reams-of-detailed-policies-that-have-marginal-and/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [There are some lines in the sand you just do not cross. Undermining basic civil liberties by locking people up for long periods without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/there-are-some-lines-in-the-sand-you-just-do-not-cross-undermining/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Political rivalry is one thing but personal smear campaigns scrape the barrel of political infighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/political-rivalry-is-one-thing-but-personal-smear-campaigns-scrape/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [No cause is worth the loss of a child's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/no-cause-is-worth-the-loss-of-a-child-s-life/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [We want to be absolutely clear to the people what we are about. No backroom deals whatsoever and we're not going to be held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/we-want-to-be-absolutely-clear-to-the-people-what-we-are-about-no/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [Meeting the challenges of the future requires a state that can think and act strategically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/meeting-the-challenges-of-the-future-requires-a-state-that-can-think/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) [Explore all 100 John McDonnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) ## More Corporations quotes > [It makes no sense to talk of the social obligations of the corporation without reference to its economic obligations. The two are intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-r-raymond/it-makes-no-sense-to-talk-of-the-social-obligations-of-the/) [Lee R. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-r-raymond/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Subsequently there ensues an epoch of complex, proliferating intrigues and conspiracies among the ranks of double agents, whose agendas become so densely intertwined that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/subsequently-there-ensues-an-epoch-of-complex-proliferating-intrigues/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) [Browse all 1,673 Corporations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Instead, the real freedoms and benefits were destined to go to corporations like Halliburton and others that stood to gain from the privatisation of the formerly state-owned Iraqi economy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John McDonnell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to-do-with-liberating-iraqis/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corporations" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to-do-with-liberating-iraqis/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bc/john-mcdonnell-5730_corporations_the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to_705659.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The illegal 2003 invasion had little to do with liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship…” — John McDonnell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John McDonnell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The illegal 2003 invasion had little...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to-do-with-liberating-iraqis/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/the-illegal-2003-invasion-had-little-to-do-with-liberating-iraqis/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```