They are allowed to be just as wrong as you are Rich.

Of course, they will have to work at it.

Always open to a well thought out and reasoned critique. BTW, you're not the kid who flunked my survey class twice, are you? :eyebrow:

No. Does your honor student also go by the name "slang"?

Generally, I call him "Yo, Entropy!" He's longing for a recommendation for grad school and spends a lot of time getting under foot in the lab. You'd probably like each other. :D

A conservative blogger notes how even though it's horseshit, the 100,000 figure is used routinely as if it were credible.

Clearly the Lancet is wrong because Rush Limbaugh said so. I wonder if he said it before or after using more drugs.

The UN weighs in with their number.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...610143,00.html

can we just bring our folks home, nuke the joint, and quit debating how many people have died?

seriously, it could help a lot of people.
-The Dems could point and scream and guarantee themselves the next couple of elections.

-The international community could have real justification for their Anti-America sentiment.

-The Republicans would get crucified in the media, but then they can revive their martyr act, and give the clean up and reconstruction contracts to their friends.

-The US military members would be happy to be home with their families with fewer bullets flying.

-The UN would probably pull out of NY - do i have to explain the benefit there?

-A lot of future TNT vest wearing freaks would be out of commission, and other groups might just realize we are crazy enough to do the same thing to them.

-A few million innocent Iraqis dead... ok, i don't see any possible upside here, but there is a cost for every positive, right?

I sometimes wonder if there are that many innocent Iraqis. They blow most of em up themselves before they reach puberty.

I'd like to hear the benefits of such a move.

most of them are just as innocent as we are. interpret that as you see fit.

they are trying to live their lives, raise their kids, not annoy the wife too much, maybe hang out with friends when they get a chance. most of them have never known a time when their country wasn't being torn apart by some sort of turmoil. their hot buttons and sensitivities will be different than ours, but for the most part they are no different than we are.

we can judge them for not doing more to stop the suicide bombers and terrorists but everything is relative (insert another thread here). when is the last time you (or I) intervened A) when you knew of a man abusing his wife, B) the neighbor's kid stealing something, C) the guy who sold weed to the school kids, D) the coworker who proudly cheats on his taxes?
all of these things are illegal or immoral, why didn't you (I) step in and stop it? because it wasn't worth my time and effort? I don't want to get involved? No good deed goes unpunished? I've got enough to worry about in my own family?

I know my examples of crimes aren't even remotely close to the hideous nature of suicide bombing, but how many Iraqi's would even consider these examples as problems? their problems consist of long term rule under a tyrant who pulled people off of streets to rape them, kill them, disappear them. their beloved former leader gassed his enemies - even those within his own borders. they've lived in a form of poverty that nobody on this board has experienced. injustice, violence, death, destruction, retaliation are the mainstays of their lives. the suicide bombers are just more of the same - just a different target this year.

they are not going to stand up and police themselves until they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the new government is relatively stable, relatively just, reasonably assured of winning the conflict, and that the suicide bombers and their supporters will not rise to power. to put their necks on the line without some of those concerns put to rest is akin to poking a hornets nest to hear the buzz - just not worth it.

that doesn't mean i don't get furious at them for not doing something. but i've been in there culture. the "outrages" are different, but human nature in relation to the "outrages" is the same there as it is here.

as most of that post was - so to was this statement - mostly sarcastic.

but if the UN were to pull out.

A) prime real estate opens up -not just the UN building but all of the housing, etc.
B) diplomats who are above the law would be gone
C) fewer limp dicks standing on our soil ridiculing the US for no other reason than they can.
D) it would be fun to see where they land and gauge the reaction of their new hosts over the next 20 years.

Bases in Iraq are necessary for the invasion of Iran. There is no real exit strategy nor any reason to have an exit strategy. The long term intent is to force democracy on the 'axis of evil'. An exit strategy for Iraqi - ie 'nuke the joint' - would only undermine America's new foreign policy of unilateral invasions.

The new Domino Theory. If we attack them over there, then they will not bother to attack Americans over here. Better to make enemies in Iraq since the whole world hates Americans anyway.

According to those UN numbers, we are killing Iraqi civilians at about the same rate per year that Saddam was. But clearly that is better because Americans are more moral about causing civilian deaths.

After all, we did not intend to kill all those people. Therefore it is moral. We did not intend to create the insurgency when we disbanded the army and police. Therefore all this violence is not America's fault.

Question remains: how many more will die if Iraq breaks down into civil war? History teaches that American occupation (complete with a puppet government) will be required for up to 10 years. No problem. America wants to be the world's policeman. The current Iraqi government can only exist in Green Zones protected by the US military. Why is their own country so dangerous even for their own government? Iraq has never been a more dangerous place - thanks to America.

Those who do die will die for moral reasons. The Iraqi death rate is either same as or higher than during Saddam's reign depending on the source. We call this "Mission Accomplished" - or "Good Morning Vietnam". Same difference. They are only gooks.

Many would be gone, but there would still be plenty of them on Mass. Ave. NW in DC.