I was profoundly disappointed, yet not at all surprised that last month Pew released a survey showing only 28% of Americans estimated that there had been 4,000 military deaths in Iraq. Our collective short attention span has moved on. That will happen I suppose in a historic Presidential election cycle, an economic downturn, and a MSM that sucks.
I even catch myself taking my eye off things. My wife has deployed twice now, once in Iraq in '04, once stateside, now. My daughter is in the Air Force, so I was stunned to learn that we have lost 20 brave souls in April already...and for what?
You know, I am really disappointed in America. No, I don't hate America. But man, if you are looking for a mind-bending experience do what I did today, search Google News for Iraq stories in 2003. Headlines so tragic they are funny...and then back to beyond tragic.
To wit: Christian Science Monitor from June 2003 "Despite war's end, military deaths a growing concern"
Ahem...Despite war's end? The article laments the number accident related deaths.
Since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1, mishaps have claimed the lives of 26 troops - or three-quarters of the US military fatalities in that country. If this rate of accidental deaths (compared with hostile losses) goes unchecked, such fatalities could within a few months surpass the number of troops killed in combat during the war.
Wow, remember when 26 deaths meant something? Note to CSM, the deaths HAVE gone on unchecked...both hostile losses and those pesky accidents.
Here's a beauty: AP via San Diego Trubune from June as well "More attacks injure two U.S. soldiers in Iraq, as American death toll passes 200" Hmmm, remember when we were gasping as we hit those ROUND numbers. Back then, the 100s were big events. Now...pfttt, not even 3000 to 4000 registers.
Bremer said leftover Baath Party members and perhaps terrorists from neighboring countries fighting U.S. and British troops drew succor from Saddam's apparent survival.
Dammit, if we could just get Saddam! In December we got him "Like a rat!" as I recall. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. L Paul Bremer:
Bremer said 240 hospitals across the country and 95 percent of health clinics were now operating. And Baghdad now had 18 to 20 hours of electricity a day, he said.
Speaking from Iraq, he said law and order had to be restored, to ensure the country could be rebuilt.
"Am I satisfied? No," said Bremer, "We will do our best and we will succeed. I do not know when that will be."
Note to Mr. Bremer, are you satisfied yet? Any better ideas on when we SUCCEED?
And finally:
One of the grenades struck a Bradley fighting vehicle near Khaldiyah, 35 miles west of Baghdad, but caused no significant damage or injuries. U.S. troops returned fire with 25 mm cannon, but apparently failed to inflict any casualties on the attackers, who ran away.
Ahh, remember when these things mattered? OMG! Those sombitches threw a grenade at our boys! Whew! Nobody hurt thank goodness. HA ha..cowards ran away.
One more:NYT from September 2003. Holy shit! $87 billion is a lot of money!
The huge sums requested by the White House to occupy and rebuild Iraq sharply inflamed partisan tensions on Capitol Hill today, with Republican leaders accusing Democrats of undermining the military and sowing division by criticizing the Bush administration's postwar policies.
Wow..."huge sums". BTW - my 3rd grade teacher would not like this paragraph, errr...looong sentence. But remember back when Repugs strolled around with their patriotic hard ons?
Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House Republican leader, accused Mr. Kennedy of uttering ''hate speech'' and said he needed to apologize to the country for accusing Mr. Bush of what amounted to treason.
But ol' Tom was sticking to his conservative principles!
''You have to admit with some members there was sticker shock at $87 billion,'' Mr. DeLay said. ''They're trying to grapple with that.''
Note to Tom, does $2.4 trillion give you any sticker shock?
I could go on, but that is all in the past right? It is really depressing. The present can be depressing too, Iraq does that you know. We are looking at deployment #3 in spring '09. Iraq still matters.