DEATH BE NOT PROUD.

The New Republic ^ | Post date 10.16.03 | Louis Klarevas

[.cnI redruM]

awrence F. Kaplan argues that, despite the political elite's growing intolerance of casualties in Iraq, the public remains steadfast in its support of the operation, including a willingness to incur a significant number of American fatalities ("Willpower," September 8 & 15). In his words, there is an "absence of a correlation between casualties and public support."

Well, not quite. Kaplan reaches this conclusion based on both a superficial reading of some of the academic literature as well as a blanket acceptance of conclusions derived from problematic social science (e.g., the research of Gelpi/Feaver and Kull/Ramsay). A more discerning review would have uncovered that, while support for the use of force is affected by factors in addition to casualties, the leading factor that drives public opposition to military operations and public disapproval of the president's handling of foreign crises is the number of fatalities incurred relative to the interests and scope of a mission. In other words, public tolerance correlates with the casualties incurred and the vital interests at stake.

As elite criticism has grown, drawing attention to American casualties, public support for the operation has started to waver--and approval of President Bush has started to nose-dive. Elites drive American opinion. And, as elite concerns get aired, the public's threshold of acceptable casualties in Iraq is likely to drop until eventually it is no longer willing to stomach any more death.

Louis Klarevas Assistant Professor of Political Science City University of New York College of Staten Island Staten Island, New York

[.cnI redruM]

This letter writer utterly disgusts me. He must be proved utterly inane. I enlist your support in this vital task. His opinion of the average American shines in repungnant bas-relief in the quote below.

>>>>>Elites drive American opinion. And, as elite concerns get aired, the public's threshold of acceptable casualties in Iraq is likely to drop until eventually it is no longer willing to stomach any more death.<<<<<<

It's time to let the helium out of this Elitist Pig's balloon. Please correspond with him at the address below.

Klarevas@postbox.csi.cuny.edu

It would be helpful to the quality of education offered at CUNY if it's polisci department were to acquire the following knowledge prior to becoming guilty of teaching while ignorant.

1) Popular support for the current administration is a product of calculated decision-making on their part, not on the sancrosanct word of the elite.

2) The elite, as the good doctor posits them, are a result of self-selection. Other than academics, a large swath of the general population doesn't consider them good for much of anything.

3) When a Roman General returned home to triumph, a servant would helpfully whisper in his ear "Humanum te momento". THis meant "remember you are human." It's time that academia's self-selecting elite were given the same.

[proxy_user]

The casualties are ridiculously light. We lost 58,000 men in Vietnam, and the Viet Cong didn't even attack New York.

[proxy_user]

The casualties are ridiculously light. We lost 58,000 men in Vietnam, and the Viet Cong didn't even attack New York.

[proxy_user]

The casualties are ridiculously light. We lost 58,000 men in Vietnam, and the Viet Cong didn't even attack New York.

[proxy_user]

Sorry. Server hung.

[genefromjersey]

The "good doctor" apparently doesn't mind a bit of plagiarism in his title.

"Death Be Not Proud" is the title of a very moving book,written by ( I believe) John Hersey in the late 40's or early 50's, about his child,who was dying of a brain tumor.

[Argus]

DEATH BE NOT PROUD was actually by John Gunther, a memoir of his son's battle with terminal disease.

[Gunrunner2]

Indeed, as I already published on this:
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj01/spr01/vorspr01.html

Seems like this guy took my idea.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Death be not proud

John Donne (1572-1631)

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, 5
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, 10
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

[Argus]

O death, where is thy sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Carry on, Jeeves!

[genefromjersey]

Thank you ! It's been over 40 years since I read it, and I wasn't sure about the name of the author. Very moving story !

[Valin]

The Battle of Antietam, in Maryland (or Sharpsburg, as the South called it). The battle on September 17, 1862 was the bloodiest single day in American History, with 23,000 soldiers killed or wounded in 12 hours of fighting.

[archy]

O death, where is thy sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?

Right here you go:

[backhoe]

Death Be Not Proud
In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death:
discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process ...
classiclit.about.com/cs/productreviews/ fr/aafpr_deathbe.htm - 29k - Cached - Similar pages