Everyone say thanks to the "We Keep You Safe" Republican Party

[WilliamPitt]

Much has been made in the media of late about the number of American soldiers who have been killed recently. 2,787 troops have been killed since the invasion was undertaken, with 74 of those deaths coming in the month of October alone. As bad as this is, these numbers do not accurately reflect the calamity this war has visited upon our armed forces.

The Department of Defense's own reports tell the broader tale. A report from the Defense Manpower Data Center lays it out in stark detail: the total number of "non-mortal" casualties among American soldiers stands at 44,799. Add this to the 2,787 soldiers killed, and we reach 47,586.

A typical military division has between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers, which means the casualties suffered by our troops in Iraq to date amount to between two and four full divisions that have been damaged or ultimately erased. The Army and Marine Corps have thirteen active divisions, so at the worst end of the measurement, the Iraq occupation has sapped a full third of the fighting strength of the US military.

Hey, thanks. No really, thanks. Thanks a lot. Thanks oodles. You bastards.

[WI_DEM]

1. Thanks, you lying sons of bitches

and in Bush's case that is literally true.

[WilliamPitt]

2. Indeed

God preserve us from beautiful minds.

[annabanana]

3. looking for a handyman analogy here

This admin has taken the most expensive, valuable tool out of the tool chest and destroyed it..

Which tool (for the military) and what's the most damging thing you can do to it?
Like using a chainsaw on granite, or something like that. . .

[blm]

4. The reason many thousands aren't dead is because of advanced medical care.

If those soldiers had the same medical treatment that was available during Vietnam, the numbers would be a lot closer to Vietnam.

Would the American people be tolerating 15-20,000 dead soldiers in Iraq at this point?

[BootinUp]

5. We are creating them over there

so we can fight them there and here. Yay.

[Hubert Flottz]

6. He does pretty good for a deserter!

Dan Rather was telling the truth...Bush is the liar!

[Rosie1223]

7. I'd say "Thanks for Nothing"

but 47,000+ casualties certainly isn't nothing.

[Brewman_Jax]

8. Keeping us safe...?

that's pretty funny since the WTC towers were destroyed during the reign of the republicans, by a madman funded and trained by the republicans (Reagan, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). In retaliation, 2 countries were invaded by the republicans that were funded and formerly friends of the republicans. (Hussein of Iraq, aided for the Iran-Iraq War, and the Taliban of Afghanistan, $43M for humanitarian efforts.)

Moral of the story: stay away from republicans!

[DinahMoeHum]

9. Dear GOP: Fuck you very much.

n/t

[LuckyTheDog]

10. The GOP, if allowed, will just kill MORE troops

Can we stop the next really big war from happening?

The GOP can hold Congress only "by hook or by crook." But because I think they are capable of anything, I won't make a prediction about the outcome of the election. I will, however, make one guess about what could happen if the Republicans slither back into control.

If the Republicans won, I think the chances of going to war with Iran would be more than 90 percent. Even if the Republicans lose seats in both houses (which is almost certain), Bush would interpret their ability to hang on to a slim margin of control as an unqualified "mandate" to do whatever he wants.

The consequences could be very grim, indeed. The U.S. has no business trying to build an empire in the Middle East. And if we try, I don't expect Russia to sit by and let us do it. Same goes for China and the anti-American elements in the Pakistan military.

Stop the madness now. Vote Democratic as if your life depends on it. It very well might. We need an overwhelming margin of victory to ensure success. Please be part of it.