Survivor Guilt

I think its about the self destructive nature of countries and how they always end eventually. The start of the song basically shows that all great powers have come to end and its saying how is America any different.

Then if you listen to the rest of the song and a focus on the lyrics I agree it could be talking about Iraq but I think its just war in general and how the people who actually fight the war are not the people who necessarily vote or make decisions for the country. It sought of shows the idiocy behind war that it's the old man that declare it but the young men that lose their lives for it. I think its meant to link to the idea that nations will come to end no matter how much they may try and fight it.

"What purpose does this serve? What purpose did I serve?"

These two lines some up the entire song. People die for no real reason. Hardcore Americans will read this and say for some stupid reason that their government has fed them that the war has a just reason. But does it? People die all the time but the point of this song is to say that young people die for an old man war and in the end the super powers that we all know will perish because thats just what history has taught us. No world super power can last forever so whats the point of fighting in a war for a country that will not last. Some Americans not all so I'm not taking a swing at the country but some believe that their country is going to last forever, these people are blinded by pride and thats what this song is trying to get at. I think.