Iraq: My generation’s Vietnam
August 22, 2007
I was reading this article on CNN and it really struck a chord inside of me. Then I read this article.
The United States supposedly invaded Iraq to get rid of weapons of mass destruction. When none were found, instead of admitting wrong doing and leaving, the United States government decided that the real reason was Saddam Hussein, terrorism, and the installation of democracy. When that failed they decided that any type government would do so long as it is stable.
I believe the regime under Hussein was much more stable than the current “democracy” in place and such a reign as he had would fall under the new ideology they are attempting to employ in Iraq. While I certainly would not call his government desirable his government was also not in mass chaos and certainly was better than the current war situation. So, this war has caused well over 100,000 American casualties, killed 76,000 civilians, caused mental instability among a large portion of soldiers, and has wasted $454 billion dollars. And for what? Absolutely nothing.
Bush also seems to be messing up his rhetoric regarding Vietnam drawing more on the experiences of Cambodians - re-education camps, killing fields, etc. He says this was all the result of America pulling out [of Vietnam] and Iraq would be like that if America pulled out. I fail to see his point. The US government secretly bombed Cambodia and then left leaving millions of Cambodians to be massacred by Pol Pot and if that was not bad enough the US government actually helped Pol Pot overthrow the Vietnamese government that overthrew the Khmer Rouge. Bush also seems to invoke Vietnam as to illustrate that something was learned. Obviously, given that the Iraq war occurred nothing was learned from the millions of lives spent on the Vietnam war.
Our parent’s generation has sent our generation to slaughter in Iraq just as our grandparent’s generation sent our parent’s generation to slaughter in Vietnam just like our great grandparent’s generation sent our grandparent’s generation to slaughter in WW2 & Korea and so on…
When will we learn?
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Not to argue your point, but just to clarify your fact about casualties, my source says less than 31,000 American dead and wounded.
comment by Pa — August 22, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Over 152,669 wounded veterans of this war have applied for benefits because of being injured in combat. Of the 152,669 the federal government granted 100,000 of the claims. You can take a look at the July 20, 2006 document called “Compensation and Pension Benefit Activity Among Veterans of the Global War on Terrorism.”
comment by katy — August 22, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Here are three sources that report basically the same data. All three report that less than 31,000 total is more accurate than the figure that you are reporting. http://icasualties.org/oif/ or http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/ or http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm
comment by Pa — August 23, 2007 @ 2:27 pm
I understand where and how you got your sources. Those sources got the numbers from the Pentagon, I am sure. All I am asking for you to do is look outside what is being hand fed to you. Sometimes, taking the most direct route to information will not yield the correct information. Take a look at the government document I recommended and then tell me why the number of veterans of the Iraq war that applied for benefits because of injury differs from the Pentagon numbers. Certainly, you must be aware that the government deflates numbers in order to make it seem like the situation is not as bad as it really is. Reference every major conflict and war that this country has been involved in - the government always ends up coming out with the *real* number later because of public pressure.
comment by katy — August 23, 2007 @ 3:19 pm