DEATHS IN IRAQ
Put them in perspective
The Nov. 7 Star Tribune proclaimed in big bold type proclaims that 853 soldiers were killed in Iraq this year.
How about a headline which puts the war dead in perspective? Minnesota alone is on target for a total of 500 people to be killed in traffic accidents this year. More than 12,000 people have been murdered in the United States since January.
A total of 853 soldiers killed protecting this country from terrorist attacks doesn't seem so bad compared to the carnage that occurs every day in the United States. It is probably safer to be in Iraq that walking down a street in a major U.S. city or driving on one of our overcrowded roads. So let's not get so excited about casualties in Iraq.
HAROLD OLSON, MINNEAPOLIS
http://www.startribune.com/563/story/1540826.htmlThis is my response that I sent in. I don't know if they'll print it or not. But it made me feel damn good to write it!!!!
This is in response to Saturday's letter by Harold Olson.
Mr. Olson, the entire worth of your "put them in perspective" letter is that the soldiers died "protecting this country from terrorists attacks." If this were true, then your letter would be accurate.
However, they our boys engaged in the occupation of Iraq are not dying to protect us from terrorism. They are dying to secure long-term American oil companies control of MidEast oil, and in the process making Republican industries such as Big Oil, Big Defense, and security & military contractors rich with "cost-plus" contracts, no auditing, and no oversight. They are dying so that Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney can claim sweeping powers and immunity to criticism as a "war president" and continue to terrorize the populace. They are dying so Republicans can rape the Treasury then shrug and say "Gee, looks like there's no money for S-CHIP or infrastructure. I guess they're going to have to go private instead!" And they are dying because the inflated egos of the Republicans will not admit they were wrong to invade in the first place.
And, ultimately, we are losing in Iraq because the warmongering Republicans do not have the moral or political courage to do what is necessary to "win" (as they define it) in Iraq, namely, instituting a draft to flood Iraq with troops for a decade, nationalizing the defense industry to keep them supplied, and creating war taxes to pay for it. The Republicans don't even have the moral courage to take care of our wounded boys properly.
Regardless of original intent, the Iraq Invasion and Occupation that we were lied into is now a cash cow for Republican-dominated industries, businessmen and corporations that, in the next few election cycles, will have tons of money to give to the GOP. And that is the most shameful aspect of this entire endeavor.