American soldiers killed in Iraq now number 2600
But we're likely to hear from the boneless chickenhawk Bush administration that it's just another number.
Here's another number: that's about three soldiers killed every day for the past month.
Or how about this one: 19,270 American soldiers wounded in Iraq.
Or this: $303 billion spent in Iraq (nominally).
And there's no end in sight.
Tags: Bush is a moron | Impeach Bush | George W Bush | Bush | Worst President Ever | Iraq
posted by Schroeder @ 6:27 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Many of those wounded are without limbs or sight. I'm sure that figure doesn't include those poor souls who can't sleep or think or do anything.
Marco, right you are. I'm concerned about the undocumented wounded as well, who number over three times the official count last I heard.
Zihuatanejo: I'm fairly confident you'll never pass by here again, since I've never seen you in any other local forum other than to gratuitously "mark" other people's forums with your pitifully composed, vainglorious attempt at self-promotion. I used to frequent that forum, but no one ever reciprocated. As such, I've lost interest in the latest shallow chatter and gossip found in the New Orleans Live Journal. Feel free to visit again to make a better case than the copy-and-paste job you've been doing.
Keep in mind that two times more Vietnam combat veterans have taken their own lives since the war (and this doesn't count the ones who drink themselves to death) than died in the war. I have no reason to think that this will be different, although there is more help available to these vets. The people they marry and the children they have, in their effort to salvage normal lives (after having turned on species, as my combat veteran husband often put it) will suffer too, years and years from now. I know.
Sophmom -- I'm not familiar with the figure you cited about Vietnam vets, although it hardly surprises me. These guys had it, and are still having it, rough. As an aside, it's a wonder to me they didn't just up and trounce the Republican chickenhawk party for their dirty tactics in 2000 and 2004. Anyway, do you know a source for that figure. Don't go out digging anything up -- I'm just asking. Thanks for the reminder about how families, too, have to cope with the "casualties" of war -- both physical, mental, and metaphysical. It's an often overlooked problem. I'm sure you could elaborate, though it would take some courage I'm sure (I'm not asking you to, by the way -- that would be your own decision to make in your own good time).
Please explain what you meant by the phrase, "turned on species."
That's just what he calls it. He saw a lot of combat in close quarters, killed a lot of people, got good at it (enjoyed it?). His undergrad degree was in philosophy from a Jesuit U, the first three years spent in seminary. He was drafted. Honestly, in retrospect, I'm pretty sure that he was fairly messed up before the Army, but they took advantage of that. He got medals for things he should have been put into a psych ward for (or worse). I don't mind talking about it but I have to be respectful of his privacy (as well as the statute of limitations, or the lack thereof).
As for the number, I wish I could be more specific (or had time to search right now). It came from a long feature article in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution that published (somewhere around) two years ago (maybe 3?). The subject of the article was just that, the number of severely mentally ill, homeless or addicted Vietnam combat veterans, and included discussion of the suicide rate among that population. It seems to me that it would be quite difficult to determine accurately, and I think the article probably said that.
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