How Many War Deaths Can We Take?: Louis Klarevas

[jbfam4]

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpkla073528604nov07,0,7713659.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

By Louis Klarevas


So far, the Iraq operation has enjoyed majority support. But for how much longer can the Bush administration expect it to last? The answer to this question will depend on the public's killed-in-action (KIA) threshold. So how many more deaths in Iraq will Americans stomach?

The bad news for the Bush administration is that the current campaign is less a war and more a peace operation. With the primary threat that justified the war removed, the remaining objectives are largely nation-building and force protection. As such, the stakes are lower than in the spring when the weapons of mass destruction menace seemed more imminent-and invasion was the solution.

As America is now trying to win the peace after winning the war, the level of what is tolerable is shrinking. As a result, the public's KIA threshold could be as low as 500 deaths. And the helicopter attack brought the toll to 377.

Unless, say, Saddam Hussein is captured, public backing will continue to diminish. When the number of fatalities and the KIA threshold intersect, support will turn to opposition - and the Bush administration will face its toughest decision since coming to office. It will either have to tough it out or get out.

[RamboLiberal]

1. I grew up in the 60's

I think initially the US "tolerated" the death toll because we were only 20 years removed from WWII and only 10+ years removed from Korea. And of course there wasn't the wealth of news reporting there is today.

The strange thing back then was I at 13 (1965) supported our growing involvment cause I believed all the great and wonderful spiel that the US was good, communism was bad, and we were fighting for freedom. My parents who had lived through WWII and had lost a brother, a lover and many friends were totally against it from the start.

I turned against it around 67/68 as I grew more in wisdom.

It pains me to see so many Americans today buying the same spiel I did when I was 13. I do believe it is because of 9/11, the success of Gulf War I, the 24/7 propaganda of Repugs, Faux and the hate-mongers,

I think though that the country is awakening. I'd bet that if we had a fair draft and everyone's kid, husband, mother, etc., had the chance of being called to service in Iraq you'd find support for this war to be in the teens.

[kalazh]

2. so it is

500