The Right And Willfull Stupidity.

[MostlyLurks]

A few days ago, someone posted a thread (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3004015)
that referred to an AMAZINGLY stupid article on conservativebullsh...I mean conservativetruth.

The article made the argument that the "death rate" under US occupation has decreased by 87% as opposed to under Hussein. Thanks to Lynnthedem, it was pretty clear that the author's figures were completely meaningless. So I wrote the author the following reply:

From: [e-mail]

Re: Interesting Facts

Hi,

I read your article re: the amazing 87% improvement in the Iraqi
casualty rate since we invaded and deposed Saddam. I had no idea. Damn
liberal media covering up the truth AGAIN!

I see that you've based your "13,650 Iraqis have been killed" statement on the number of casualties that took place during the invasion itself and not the ongoing occupation.

http://www.accuracy.org/press_releases/PR103003.htm

I think that's a really an excellent way of looking at things and takes some of the sting out of the continuing operations. Not only does it mean very few Iraqis have been killed, but we also haven't lost a whole lot of soldiers. By my count, your article has instantaneously resurrected about 1,235 soldiers who (haven't) died since the end of "major combat operations" (5/1/03).

Well done!

Frank Castle

PS The link above is one of seven I could have chosen to point out.
However, that's a moot issue: using your math, there's no link above
because this mail is being written after the invasion and therefore
hasn't actually happened.

So she replies thusly:

"Frank,
The figure of 13,650 Iraqis came from hospital body counts in Iraq - which may or may not be accurate. However, the number of Americans who have died in Iraq from military action and accidents was close to being right - about 1300 at this point. That would indicate about 10 Iraqi deaths to every American death. Both of these figures, compared to ANY other previous war is amazingly low. Bear in mind, during the war of my youth, WW II, over 100,000 soldier a year died - not 600. I still am thankful for the low death rate. Fewer Americans soldiers have died in 2 years in Iraq than died in a few hours at Normandy.

Mary Mostert"

1. "The figure...may or may not be accurate." Something she *never* mentions in the article.
1a. It's based on hospital body counts. Now, maybe this is just me personally, but if my relative was, idunno, blown to bits by a bomb, I might not bother taking him/her to a hospital. Or maybe I'd just have a hard time collecting all the bits to get them to a hospital. "Sorry my Castle, but we can't officially count your brother as dead because you haven't provided us with a majority of the body. So we have no way of confirming he's dead."
2. She never mentions the American dead ANYWHERE in her original article, so there's no reason to bring it up here. The only reason she does is because I mentioned it. BUT she once again confabulates and compares 13,000 Iraqi deaths in the three week initial push to the total casualties to date for soldiers. In reality, the value is something more on the order of 13,000 to 147 (I can't find the actual number of soldiers killed in the initial three week invasion - anybody got link?). So using her figures, we find that 958 Iraqis were killed for every 1 American, as opposed to her "thankful" figure of 10.
3. "That would indicate about 10 Iraqi deaths to every American death." See items 1 and 1a above.
4. "I still am thankful for the low death rate." Technically, the American death rate should be 0% since, you know, we shouldn't be there anyway. But since we are, let's play a little numbers game of our own:
2,752 people were killed on 9/11 (give or take).
1,380 is the latest beath toll in Iraq.
American (military) death toll: >50%.

So apparently, somewhere between 1381 and 2,752 deaths lies the dividing line between being "thankful" for a low death rate and being "outraged" by it.

Anyway, pile on with your thoughts - I'm going to write a reply to her later today.

Mostly

[atommom]

1. Um, remember the Iraqi hospital that was attacked by US forces

for "overreporting" the number of wounded and dead? It was said to have become a source of enemy propaganda. I very much doubt that we're getting accurate counts from hospitals ... and many wounded and dead never make it to a hospital anyway.

[WildClarySage]

2. sounds like she is saying that 10 Iraqis = 1 American

that's RW math, alright.