Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Exploiting The Dead
New York Post Online ^ | October 20, 2005 | Ralph Peters

Posted on 10/20/2005 2:20:37 AM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta

WE'LL soon reach a total of 2,000 dead American troops in Iraq. You won't miss the day it happens. The media will pound it into you.

But no one will tell you what that number really means — and what it doesn't.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ralphpeters

1 posted on 10/20/2005 2:20:38 AM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta

The left and MSM don't respect or understand warriors and Wes Clark is/was never one.


2 posted on 10/20/2005 3:02:18 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta

Quote from the article

As for that "unacceptable" number of casualties, let's put it in perspective:

Our current loss rate in Iraq from combat and non-combat deaths is 765 per year. That's painful for individual families, but we would have to remain in Iraq, taking casualties at the same rate, for 76 years to rival our loss of more than 58,000 Americans in Indochina.

And Vietnam wasn't remotely as important to our national security. The terrorists we face today are more implacable than any of the enemies from our past. Even the Germans didn't dream of eradicating our entire population. The Japanese hoped to master Asia, not to massacre every man, woman and child in America.

We would need to continue our efforts in Iraq and the greater War on Terror for 532 years to suffer the 407,000 dead we lost in less than four years in World War II.

And what about our greatest struggle, the American Civil War? We would have to maintain the status quo in Iraq for 470 years just to rival the number of Union dead and for 729 years to equal our total losses, North and South.

Even our Revolutionary War, in which fewer than 5,000 Americans died in combat (many more, unrecorded, fell to disease) has to be judged in terms of the population at the time — just over 2 million. Equivalent losses today would be over 500,000 dead Americans. Unquote.

The real truth of the Iraq War is how few have died. We lose more soldiers, air force, and sailors in peacetime than most in the general public are aware of. The numbers are actually often above the numbers we have lost every year in Iraq. Most of Iraq is fairly peaceful. Bad parts are Sunni and bordering Sunni territories and the Syrian border. There are parts of the US (Miami, Detroit) where you would be less safe than most of Iraq.


3 posted on 10/20/2005 3:14:58 AM PDT by KeyWest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta

the left has umlimited supplies of rehtoric


4 posted on 10/20/2005 3:19:35 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta
This is Code Pink's email on the 2,000th
5 posted on 10/20/2005 3:19:38 AM PDT by Beckwith (The liberal press has picked sides ... and they have sided with the Islamofascists)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta
I don't know who depresses me more, the antiwar moon-bat left's cheering of reaching every milestone, or the bushbot's casual dismissal of our soldier's lives as a macabre "Back in my day..."
6 posted on 10/20/2005 3:54:28 AM PDT by Hong Kong Expat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hong Kong Expat

This eager anticipation of the 2000th casualty reminds me of the preparations for Y2K. Its coming, we need to be ready, lets make the most of it.

Afterall, dead soldiers are the foundation of the Defeatists politics. Cindy MediaWhorehan and the rest dance on the graves of soldiers to make their political points.


7 posted on 10/20/2005 4:09:03 AM PDT by armydawg1 (" Amierca must win this war..." PVT Martin Treptow, KIA, WW1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: sure_fine
the left has umlimited supplies of rehtoric

... and not a shred of concern for the truth or perspective.

Also, 2,000 dead is only 2/3 the number of the people who died on 9/11.

8 posted on 10/20/2005 4:13:28 AM PDT by libertylover (Liberal: A blatant liar who likes to spend other people's money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Hong Kong Expat
...bushbots casual dismissal...

Yeah, right. I think I got your number.
9 posted on 10/20/2005 4:26:59 AM PDT by PeteB570 (Panic don't get the job done)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: KeyWest

"The real truth of the Iraq War is how few have died. We lose more soldiers, air force, and sailors in peacetime than most in the general public are aware of."

Exactly! The public has no idea how many die in training accidents or car/motorcycle accidents. But since deep down they really despise the military & they can't figure out how to use those figures against GW, they really could care less how many of us die in "peacetime" Just as well, if they ever got wind of it, they may make us stop training and take away our cars.


10 posted on 10/20/2005 4:34:06 AM PDT by SAMS (Nobody loves a soldier until the enemy is at the gate; Army Wife & Marine Mom)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Hong Kong Expat; GiovannaNicoletta
I don't know who depresses me more, the antiwar moon-bat left's cheering of reaching every milestone, or the bushbot's casual dismissal of our soldier's lives as a macabre "Back in my day..."

First of all, I find the "Bushbot" term offensice, especially coming from an alleged Conservative and directed at someone who is on as well. It is better suited for use by the DUmmies

Second, facts are facts, the mention of the past is not trying to demean or trivialize the loss of the present, those sacrifices are real and true parts of our history, to dismiss them as you have trivializes THEM.

Those who join the military realize what their respective duties are, and what the relative danger is.

Loss of American lives is always a shock, but it is what we are faced with today: 2000 American men and women have died over the past 2.5 years in Iraq to prevent another 3000 American men, women and children from dying in ONE DAY here in America.

God bless our troops!

11 posted on 10/20/2005 5:22:17 AM PDT by Former Dodger ( "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." --Einstein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Former Dodger
Oops: offensice = offensive
12 posted on 10/20/2005 5:23:44 AM PDT by Former Dodger ( "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." --Einstein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: GiovannaNicoletta
We mourn the death of each and every one who pays the ultimate price for freedom. However, I remember months when I was in Viet Nam in 1969 when we were losing four to five hundred a week. And those who were at Normandy and Iwo Jima in WWII will tell you, for us to have liberated FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE in Iraq & Afghanistan and do it with two thousand casualties in less than three years is nothing short of miraculous.

Semper Fi,
Kelly
13 posted on 10/20/2005 5:44:08 AM PDT by kellynla (U.S.M.C. 1st Battalion,5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Div. Viet Nam 69&70 Semper Fi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kellynla

Beautifully said, Kelly ... beautifully said.


14 posted on 10/20/2005 6:30:40 AM PDT by FRactional
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson