Former US vice-president Dick Cheney has died a free man. That’s a great shame. Because former US vice-president Dick Cheney was an architect of the War on Terror. And the War on Terror both directly and indirectly killed a total of 4.5-4.7 million.

That’s just so far, because as recently as last month the Trump regime – itself a direct product of the War on Terror – was still citing Al Qaeda and the War on Terror narrative to kill people. That the latest victims are in south America changes nothing.

Cheney’s legacy if one of the forces that were unleashed by the US after 9/11, migrating and mutating to encompass the entire world. Cheney and his neoconservative cohort – to paraphrase investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill – made the world into a battlefield. And 25 years on, that battlefield is still burning.

Sycophants of global politics unite

What will happen now? I think we already know. Just as when another major war criminal, Henry Kissinger, died, the ruling class will snivel and gush about Cheney’s supposed merits. Here’s a centre named after his criminal accomplice George Bush praising him:

Statement by President George W. Bush on Vice President Dick Cheney:

The death of Richard B. Cheney is a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends. Laura and I will remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honorable man that he was. History will remember him as among the finest… pic.twitter.com/fmx7hI4eFD

— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) November 4, 2025

And here’s a quick overview of the slimy New York Times obituary which makes the man sound like some sort of benign philanthropist, and not a slavering imperialist:

NYT obituary for Cheney is a crazy piece of propaganda – not a single criticism of his murderous policies, full acceptance of his alleged desire to defend the Constitution.

They also claim that he wanted to expand democracy around the world. pic.twitter.com/t4LBs6dPBL

— Bryce Greene (@TheGreeneBJ) November 4, 2025

Happy dolphin death memes

But you’re reading the Canary for a reason. And that reason is that we greet the deaths of war criminals properly. With happy dolphin memes:

DICK CHENEY is dead pic.twitter.com/JDpejHZRhI

— Friendly neighborhood whiskey bottle (@WhiskeyFriendly) November 4, 2025

As one US publication reminds us on this fabulous day, Cheney wasn’t just a driving force in the wars. He also championed torture and surveillance, for which his place in hell is triply assured:

Dick Cheney; the butcher of Iraq.

The liar about weapons of mass destruction.
The reason millions of Iraqis and thousands of American soldiers died.

Dies at 84 years old. pic.twitter.com/KiNVS8Il7g

— Legolas (@LegolasWST) November 4, 2025

X personality Caitlin Johnstone lamented that:

Dick Cheney died far too old and far too free. The fact that such monsters get to pass away in their eighties surrounded by loved ones instead of alone in a cage is an indictment of our entire civilization.

She added:

The hegemonic, hypermilitaristic ideology he promoted has become the baseline norm. New swamp monsters have stepped in to fill his shoes and advance the same murderous and tyrannical agendas he advanced, confident that they too will suffer no consequences and live long and comfortable lives in reward for their loyal service to the US empire.

Mild, if you ask me.

Also sad for Dick he just missed out on the accolade he’d craved all these years:

well looks like they can’t give it to Cheney anymore https://t.co/cMqyC2DGFA

— Diabetic of Enlightenment (@dee_of_e) November 4, 2025

Goodbye from us, you goblin war-nonce

Others danced in joy. And why not? This is a man who pushed both the Iraq WMD lie and the Saddam-is-mates-with-Al-Qaeda falsehood:

GOOD. FUCKING. RIDDANCE!!!! DICK CHENEY IS FUCKING DEAD!!! 🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽 pic.twitter.com/m5B374wVBT

— 🍀Michael Raveles🕊🏴🚩🍀🌹🌵🌹🌵🌹🌵 (@ravelesm) November 4, 2025

While others said they had seen his name trending and were relieved to discover he was only dead:

Saw Dick Cheney trending, found out he's dead pic.twitter.com/ikwJ2B6q8O

— Andrew Carden (@AwardsConnect) November 4, 2025

There is more than a little sadness that Cheney died in relative comfort, unlike his victims who variously burned, starved, bled out or died of medical issues as a direct result of Cheney’s wars:

The only thing sad about Dick Cheney's death is that it did not happen inside an Iraqi prison.

— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) November 4, 2025

Zohran’s deep grief

While X user Zito wanted to add a new and – let’s be fucking honest – sorely needed anti-sucking up rule, which I think we can all get behind:

If you feel like you have to say nice things about Dick Cheney, simply because he was a politician who had power and influence, or because he once bought you drinks or called you when your mom was sick, then we should be allowed to shoot you out of a large cartoon cannon

— Zito (@_Zeets) November 4, 2025

And there were rumours Cheney died rather than see a Muslim elected mayor of NY (GO ZOHRAN!!! etc etc):

dick cheney died rather than see a muslim mayor of new york. alhamdulillah jihad is already winning

— sippin on that 🇵🇸 (@vivafalastin) November 4, 2025

Some people thought the correlation was even closer:

The blood ritual is complete, Zohran’s victory is assured.

— Edward Ongweso Jr (@bigblackjacobin) November 4, 2025

For his part, the NY mayoral hopeful was too shocked and sad by the news to comment:

This is so funny and perfect https://t.co/gPBMHM74bz

— Zito (@_Zeets) November 4, 2025

But, rest assured Cheney will be revered where he is going:

Dick Cheney has died. pic.twitter.com/OGOlPk8wi3

— Nick’s Dank Memes (@Nicksdankmemes3) November 4, 2025

So there you have it, another completely unaccountable 21st century horror gone down into the mud. There’s still a few to go – Bush and Blair chief among them. The most we can hope for is the war criminals of today don’t get to live quite so long, and quite so comfortably, as Cheney did.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/CBS News and the Canary