Nobody likes one death here, but you're excatly right in that you're looking past the body counts and towards the facts behind them.
The numbers can be skewed for and against us, but the numbers themselves are only part of the story. There are plenty of events, data and trends, both good and bad, that lurk behind the numbers. Those are what will make or break Iraq. Iraq could lose a five thousand people a week and emerge democratic, and it could turn to theocracy without a shot being fired. The raw numbers, without context, don't mean much at all.
Thats the entire deal. I know that its hard but if Iraq goes free we will divide the entire middle east with freedom, from Turkey to the persian gulf.
If we maintain Afghanistan that squeezes Iran HARD.
I had similar hopes for Syria being squeezed between Lebanon and Iraq.
I have no doubt that Iran is fueling things in Iraq and recently in Lebanon to thwart this threat
You are right about the facts behind the numbers, but Mr. Blumer has some problems with his numbers...either go Metro Area to Metro Area or Country to Country. He is just as bad as the MSM with his twisted facts. The numbers I dug up:
Baghdad Metro Area Population: 5,000,000 to 7,400,000
Iraq Total Population: 26,000,000-27,000,000
About 6000 deaths in the Baghdad area by June, 1006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5053134.stm
Total violent deaths for whole of Iraq: 13,738 - 16,273
Guesstamate of Baghdad Metro deaths: 10,000-12,000
Above numbers give:
Iraq Violent death(murder) rate: ~54.72 per 100,000 population (26,500,000/100,000=265 14,500/265=54.72)
USA Violent death rate: 5.6 per 100,000 population (2005)
Iraq 9.8x higher.
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_01.html
Baghdad Metro Area violent death rate: ~183 per 100,000 population (6,000,000/100000=60...11,000/60=183)
Worst Metro death rate on Mr. Blumer's table: 83.1 in D.C in 1991.
Iraq is 2.2x higher.