Goodoz said:With all due respect to your opinion, statistics can be manipulated to
represent any facts from any angle.
Is it not true that an individual, who wears no identifiable uniform, who
represents no official flag, who kills without state sponsorship (that's
murder) can be considered a Terrorist and ALSO considered to be a civilian?
Many of these "civilians" are running around with TNT and machine guns. I
hope the coalition continues to relieve them of their mysery.
To the tune of 100,000? I don't think so. IF, and that is a very large
if, we had targeted only those who were retaliating to a perceived US
invasion (which one can certainly make a case that they are/were), the
numbers would be closer to the toal of military deaths. Some statistical
data manipulation is certainly done in these statistics, but the numbers
of collateral dead is extremely high (one can also make a case that
those civilians accidentally killed by Iraqui terrorists/fredom
fighters, or whatever, would have not been killed if the US forces were
not there).
Quoted message said:As for invading the wrong country -- America's Liberation of Iraq has
brought to most of that nation, rebuilt infrastructure, schools for
children, food, more fair treatment for women, Law (in most cases), a vote
that is representative of the masses and many other good things. However, a
noteworthy side benefit for the US is that the enemy is now coming to engage
us.
Wrongo. The infrastructure moneys were redirected to repair the oil
production capabilities and train an Iraqui police corps. The end result
is that the country, did not receive the infrastructure improvements
that were promised. Some of this was their own fault (they actually
destroyed many of the systems under construction), but not all of it.
From what I've read, these people have a right to be angry, though to a
degree, some of the blame for these failings fall on them as well.
Quoted message said:I do understand a little of the animosity though...when you live in a
country that feeds, funds, defends, develops, employs and does so many other
good things for so many places in the world, It's easy to see why so many
people hate us.
We're too nice!! (unless you're an [censored] terrorist)
Tell that to the civilians who were held, brutally, and illegally (in
violation of our constitution) in Cuba or in prisons in Iraq. Frankly,
we are looking a whole lot like the folks we tend to condemn. I am
embarrassed to be associated with those who believe this war has
improved Iraq. There was a book written about the Reagan years titled,
"Sleepwalking Through History," (decent book, actually). The title of a
book on a similar topic now would be more like, "Seeing the World
Through Rose Colored Glasses."
....stuff deleted from previous post
Rick
