I haven't written much about the war in Iraq because, really, what can I say? There are only so many synonyms for "horrific". But now Mark Morford reminds me that there is one thing to say, one very important thing: this is what it's like (WARNING: graphic images).

If you can't handle seeing what really goes on in a war, maybe you don't deserve to support it. If you can't stomach the truths of what our soldiers are doing and how brutally and bloodily they're dying and in just what manner they have to kill those innocent Iraqi civilians in the name of BushCo's desperate lurch toward greed and power and Iraqi oil fields and empire, maybe you don't have the right to stick that little flag on your oil-sucking SUV. Clear enough?

Damn straight. The link goes to Fallujah in Pictures (I follow River's spelling, and everyone should follow her blog), and I warn you again: it's tough to look at. But if you still cling to some callow notion of the "glory of war" -- if you still think there was or is any justification for this illegal, immoral invasion -- if you have ever used the term "raghead" -- if you believe or hope that there's still a chance for the US to set things right on its own -- if you can fool yourself for even a second that history will see this as anything but a vile stain on our permanent record -- then you had better go look. It's the very least you can do.