quote · Legacy record
The groundswell of outrage over the invasion of Iraq often cited the preemptive war as a betrayal of American ideals. The subtext of the dissent was: 'This is not who we are.' But not if you were standing where I was. It was hard to see the look in that palace tour guide's eyes when she talked about the American flag flying over the palace and not realize that ever since 1898, from time to time, this is exactly who we are.
The groundswell of outrage over the invasion of Iraq often cited the preemptive war as a betrayal of American ideals. The subtext of the dissent was: 'This is not who we are.' But not if you were standing where I was. It was hard to see the look in that palace tour guide's eyes when she talked about the American flag flying over the palace and not realize that ever since 1898, from time to time, this is exactly who we are.
Approximate author period: c. 1987 AD · modern
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- Author or tradition
- Sarah Vowell
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
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- Approximate author period: c. 1987 AD · modern
Approximate author-period evidence for Sarah Vowell: documented activity in 1987. Wikidata Q452147, inspected 2026-10-08. Not a quotation composition date or independent verification of attribution. Source: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q452147 (accessed 2026-10-08).
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Supplied reference C; CSV row 104141; supplied attribution, independently unverified
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