The troops offer money for information. Often an individual having an issue with a neighbour or some other person can kill two birds with one stone: use the opportunity to extract revenge and collect money simultaneously.

“The first casualty of war is the truth.” The White House’s penchant for fabricating facts and inundating the public with happy language, truth seems nonexistent today. The military, too. Either they choose not to be candid or really believe the crap they tell us. Nevertheless it is disingenious and disturbing.

The military went so far as to cover the truth about Tillman’s death and Jessica Lynch’s (?) rescue. If they could not even be forthcoming about those two incidents requires asking what else?

Why would anyone believe they are being forthcoming now?

Hence anything they tell us becomes automatically suspect.

More disturbing, at least for myself, is that anyone would think torture and abuse are acceptable! What has America become?

Last but not least, FYI: someone asked who counts Iraqi fatalities?

A year ago July 2006 according to the Lancet Report 655,000 – 750,000 Iraqis had been killed. Their report was published in the respected British Journal of Medicine. Inasmuch as the Lancet was attacked as not credible, by the US, that is the company relied upon to determine the number of lives lost during natural disasters and wars, has been for years. Their numbers are not questioned. Just recently — i forget where — the Lancet was accredited as certifiable, credible and highly respected.

Wherefore the aforementioned numbers, being almost a year ago, makes plausible another 200,000 or more Iraqi lives have been claimed since. A guesstimate suggesting 1 million plus Iraqis may have been killed to date is not in the range of ridiculousness.

Enjo.

Morning all,

I have just returned from my ritual review of today’s tragic metrics. It’s something I do to retain a grasp on the reality of what’s happening to us (the human race).

* April 2007 still on track to be one of our deadliest months in Iraq since the war began. (in or near the top ten)

* Newsweek marks milestone: 25,000 U.S. Dead and wounded. (via Iraq Casualties -dot- Org)

* Bombings continue to rock Baghdad (20, 30, 40 dead as the clock ticks)

* Iraqi dead & wounded: who’s counting?

* U.S. Battlefield Wounded-to-Dead ratio: approx 16:1 (Vietnam was less than 3:1) The horribly BAD statistic being made to look good.

* 150,000 U.S. troops represents 1/20th of 1% of the U.S. population (i.e. of course we all need & want to support our troops, but we MUST consider the metrics) This metric could safely be compared to the passengers of the Titanic supporting its’ navigator’s charted course, and it’s captain’s order to ’steam on!’.

We all gotta look at the metrics, see them for what they are, and once and for all disabuse ourselves of these platitudes “win”, “support” and “stay the course”.

Bush would have a different view if he had members of his family at risk in Iraq. The war is not that real to him now.

eCahnomics — the phrase belongs to Petraeus, not me. I’m just repeating it (and emphasizing its relevance), trying to get others to follow the logical path you’ve already traveled.

Petraeus is an idiot. And the fact that he’s the hero of the military says buckets.

I have just returned from my ritual review of today’s tragic metrics. It’s something I do to retain a grasp on the reality of what’s happening to us (the human race).

* April 2007 still on track to be one of our deadliest months in Iraq since the war began. (in or near the top ten)

* Newsweek marks milestone: 25,000 U.S. Dead and wounded. (via Iraq Casualties -dot- Org)

* Bombings continue to rock Baghdad (20, 30, 40 dead as the clock ticks)

* Iraqi dead & wounded: who’s counting?

* U.S. Battlefield Wounded-to-Dead ratio: approx 16:1 (Vietnam was less than 3:1) The horribly BAD statistic being made to look good.

* 150,000 U.S. troops represents 1/20th of 1% of the U.S. population (i.e. of course we all need & want to support our troops, but we MUST consider the metrics) This metric could safely be compared to the passengers of the Titanic supporting its’ navigator’s charted course, and it’s captain’s order to ’steam on!’.

We all gotta look at the metrics, see them for what they are, and once and for all disabuse ourselves of these platitudes “win”, “support” and “stay the course”.

Send the troops first and ask for money later (= the surge).

Build the wall first and get people to sign off on it later (= the 12 foot high secret).

Remember when this surge was billed as the US and Iraq doing this totally together? Remember how they were supposed to have a united chain of command, so that all decisions were made jointly?

Remember when we were a republic? And professed a belief in democratic principles? Remember when we had a constitution?

How quaint….