N.O. death toll: "2000"

[wellstone_democrat]

So says my friend whose son is in the region with the Navy. Apparently that is being repeated constantly and some of the "chatter" about "why" that would be?
"can't tell who is dead or chose to disappear for their own reasons"
"it wasn't that bad and the press over-hyped it"
and, you knew this was coming---his C.O. or X.O (sorry, I'm AF and didn't catch which it was) told the junior officers at a meeting: "no way this will go over 9/11 totals" when one asked how they could be sure, he said "just get used to it"

This friend is somewhat conservative (though soured on Bush in the first term) but is no fool, he had a long military career himself and has been increasingly distressed at his son's distressed---this Navy officer son who planned a career has decided in the past two weeks to get out the moment he is eligible (he's been in 7 years and I'm not sure if its a stop loss thing or what, I didn't ask the particulars and my service was another branch as enlisted, so...). He is upset at the way it is being repeated "as a truth" before much of the area is even inspected. His advice to his son: "agree, shut up, get out and be safe. This isn't the Navy I know" Knowing these people for 20 years, I find the whole turn of events disturbing. These people don't talk like this or even think like this.

I don't know what is going on out there but this is the *second* guy I personally know of who has gone from a little "gung-ho" to "disgusted" and the second case of hearing that "no more than 2000 and change" will be officially dead. The other is a brother of a student who reportedly "has a lot of bad stories to tell about what is going on there." I suggested that when his brother is out of the Coast Guard *then* tell everyone he knows just how bad it was.

FWIW

[BansheeBarbie]

1. Sadly, I believe you and your friends are telling the Truth.

:(

Trying to undercount the dead will be the final nail in their coffin.

[wellstone_democrat]

3. as I said...nearly anyone else?

I'd be highly suspicious. But, this father and son? Just not people who would ever entertain the idea. Whatever has been said on a couple of phone calls over the last week or so has aged my dear friend by about 10 years. When he comes over and tells this ultra-liberal that I "don't know what these people are capable of" then you know that the world has indeed been turned upside down.

[nashville_brook]

2. maybe someone will decide the world need a hero.

[fooj]

4. There's 2000 U.S Postal Workers missing and over 2000 missing kids!

I think they may have a hard time keeping it around 2000.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2094858&mesg_id=2094858



These evil, maniacal rat bastards need to be stopped. Our military (the majority, it seems) is filled with honorable men and women. How dare these "imposters" put them in this position!!! How dare they?

Peace.

[rocktivity]

5. Well, it CAN'T go over the 9/11 totals

Think of how bad it would make Bush look.

No wonder they've been dragging their feet and playing musicial contractors with the corpse removal. The more bodies that become animal bait, get burned up in fires, or wash out to sea, the better.

:headbang:
rocknation

[VADem11]

6. I think that's right

With all the missing people, it may be in the low thousands. Most people seem to think it is mostly over but a much higher toll may be reported soon.

[OneBlueSky]

7. bullshit . . . the real total -- which will never be known -- will be . .

WA-A-A-A-A-Y more than that, in New Orleans alone . . . but we'll never hear about it . . . keeping the total below 9/11 IS vitally important to these ghouls . . .

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Low by at LEAST an order of magnitude, surely.

The real number has to be closer to 20,000 (or more). But since most of the dead were poor and marginalised, they can just be written off. Expendable. As if their lives and deaths don't matter. And the truth gets swept under a rug, and of course the mainstream media are expected not to comment on that bulge that looks suspiciously like a corpse. And all in the name of damage control.

I don't really WANT to believe it, but I certainly CAN believe it.