New Benchmark for American Casualties

[MrFun]

The combined casualties of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afgahnistan now surpass those of 9/11/01. Below is the link:


Higher Casualties

[MrFun]

An interesting excerpt from the linked article:

"A new study on the war dead and where they come from suggests that the notion of “rich man’s war, poor man’s fight” has become a little truer over time.

Among the Americans killed in the Iraq war, 34 percent have come from communities reporting the lowest levels of family income. Half come from middle income communities and only 17 percent from the highest income level.

That’s a change from World War II, when all income groups were represented about equally. In Korea, Vietnam and Iraq, the poor have made up a progressively larger share of casualties, by this analysis."

[SlowwHand]

I just want to make a couple of points.

I don't think the relationship of civilians killed on 9/11 compares with military casualties. It's two different things.

The other is that in times of volunteer service only, it's natural to see a higher percentage coming from low-income areas.

[MrFun]

I won't argue with the obvious face that civilian casualties and military casualties are two different types of casualties.

[chequita guevara]

Heck, we've killed multiple times of innocent foreigners (Yes, I know, it's an oxymoron, all foreigners are guilty of being not-American) then were murdered by al-Qaeda, but it's okay when we do it, cuz we're the good guys, even if we are about to gut our Constitution and legalize torture.

[MrFun]

Che -- the article does point out foreign, civilian casualties.


And I agree with your point.

[Barnabas]

In France they are saying Bin Laden died of typhus

[SlowwHand]

I just read that. Here's hoping.

As far as civilians, it's not the same in that regard either.
People in the WTC were just working.
People in Iraq are put at risk by terrorists lurking among them.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by MrFun
I won't argue with the obvious face that civilian casualties and military casualties are two different types of casualties.

What about the obvious fact that the OP is inane?

[Elok]

I've been wondering when Bush would reach this particular milestone. Not that it's particularly meaningful statistically, it's just kinda funny that the man is now at least partly responsible for more American deaths than the 9/11 terrorists.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
I just read that. Here's hoping.

As far as civilians, it's not the same in that regard either.
People in the WTC were just working.
People in Iraq are put at risk by terrorists lurking among them.

And people in Pentagon were making war plans against the guys who were doing pre-emptive strikes.

I would say the civilians in Iraq died because their defenses sucked. If their army could put up a better fight, more civilians would be saved.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Elok
I've been wondering when Bush would reach this particular milestone. Not that it's particularly meaningful statistically, it's just kinda funny that the man is now at least partly responsible for more American deaths than the 9/11 terrorists.

That milestone was reached in October 2001, where more innocent Afghani civilians were killed than Americans in 9/11.

[Dauphin]

It's all well and good comparing numbers of dead post 9/11 and on 9/11, but what about the number of American lives saved since 9/11? I mean, surely, invading Iraq has made the world a safer place for every American and reduced the risk of being killed in a terrorist attack. I mean it's obvious that America is better off from it's recent Middle East actions than it otherwise would have been. Right? Obvious stuff yeah?

[SlowwHand]

Haven't been any buildings falling down lately in the USA.

[Chemical Ollie]

Global terrorism is at an all-time-high after the invasion of Iraq, and Iraq is THE hotspot. So it's a real failure. Some say "We're keeping the terrorists away from American soil", but that's a really sick comment! There is no reason American lifes should be valued higher than other lifes, is it?