"If we are lucky, and George W. Bush is right, we are about to witness the War of the Happy Iraqis"

The quote by Howard Fineman, "If we are lucky, and George W. Bush is right, we are about to witness the War of the Happy Iraqis", can be interpreted as an important and somewhat skeptical comment on the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, introduced under President George W. Bush. The expression "War of the Happy Iraqis" recommends a layer of irony or questioning of the narrative put forth at the time by Bush's administration. The U.S. federal government declared that the military intervention aimed to democratize Iraq, freeing its residents from Saddam Hussein's dictatorial routine and presumably causing a more flourishing and liberated society.

Fineman's choice of words highlights the contrast between the positive rhetoric of the administration and the complex, typically grim reality of war. The notion of a "War of the Happy Iraqis" is paradoxical, as war usually brings destruction, loss, and mayhem rather than happiness. This discrepancy might show Fineman's doubts about whether the Iraqi population would undoubtedly perceive the invasion as liberating or beneficial. While the U.S. federal government represented the operation as an honorable objective to instill democracy and human rights, many critics questioned the motivations behind the invasion, pointing to strategic interests such as oil and local influence.

The conditional stipulation "If we are lucky, and George W. Bush is best" indicates unpredictability and apprehension. It suggests that just if everything goes as optimistically prepared by Bush's administration-- which history has actually shown was far from the eventual truth-- could such a vision of happy, liberated Iraqis concern fruition. The conflict that occurred, marked by revolt, civil unrest, and significant death, showed the naivety or maybe the disingenuousness in believing that military intervention would perfectly equate into extensive Iraqi joy. In summary, Fineman's quote critiques the excessively positive expectations set by U.S. management and welcomes readers to question the real implications and repercussions of the Iraq War.