Iraqi Suffering vs. American Suffering

I saw a graphic on a comment on Daily Kos. I failed to take note of the name of the person who posted it, and I have no idea if he/she made it or copied it from somewhere else. It is a large black circle, all black except for a tiny sliver of red. It is marked “MORTALITY” and the black part is Iraqi mortality and the tiny red sliver is US mortality. It does show, VERY VERY WELL, the magnitude of the difference in suffering between the US and Iraq from this war. And frankly, this is unlikely to change….. no matter how unfair that is.

There was also another graphic from the same poster on Daily Kos. And here is what he/she wrote:

“The US numbers are exact, whereas the Iraqi numbers (black bar) reflect a statistically exact estimate. The red line represents the 95% confidence interval, with a minimum around 400,000 dead and the maximum closer to a million. These more extreme values are less likely to be true than the intermediate value of 655,000 dead.

There is a 2.5% chance that the estimate is lower than the left hand side of the confidence interval, and the same for being higher than the right hand side of the interval. The data are old. Lots of dying since last May-July when the study was conducted.”

This graphic was an actual graph, and it showed a tiny sliver on the far left for US deaths, representing just over 3,000. There is a large black bar representing the Iraqi deaths, which are at over 600,000. The reason behind that post on Daily Kos, and the reason behind this blog post, is the amazing blindness that the vast majority of Americans have to the suffering they have caused in this war on Iraq (and on the sanctions that we imposed on Iraq – but that is another story entirely).

Iraq War Deaths: Perceptions and Reality

A new AP/Ipsos poll asked Americans for their perceptions of how many American soldiers and Iraqi civilians have died in the Iraq war. The median number of American military deaths was estimated at 2,974. According to the CNN, the correct number is 3,154. The media number of Iraqi deaths was estimated at 9,890. However, reported civilian deaths are estimated at between 56,000 and 62,000. One study late last year estimated the number of deaths at more than 655,000.

Yes, the Americans think that about 10,000 Iraqis have died. If they read either my blog NEWS ABOUT IRAQ or FACES OF GRIEF, they would surely have a different – and more realistic – perspective. Now, one has to wonder why the US corporate media is keeping people in the dark about all this. And the answer is – they make money off of war! It is profitable to them, so they hide the truth so Americans can go on supporting wars and ignoring the horrible reality they are creating for some poor people who did nothing to hurt our country.

Meanwhile, Lieberman writes in the WSJ an op-ed called “The Choice On Iraq”

Two months into the 110th Congress, Washington has never been more bitterly divided over our mission in Iraq. The Senate and House of Representatives are bracing for parliamentary trench warfare--trapped in an escalating dynamic of division and confrontation that will neither resolve the tough challenges we face in Iraq nor strengthen our nation against its terrorist enemies around the world.

Yes, that’s right – Vampire Joe thinks that the real “warfare” is in the US Congress, where no one ever shed a drop of blood for this conflict and exactly one Representative has lost a child to this war. For Vampire Joe, it is never mind how the Iraqis are facing day and night, FOR NEARLY FOUR SOLID YEARS, the real life evil aftermath of his war-mongering ways. Never mind how they are dying and being hurt and injured and destroyed. Go take a look at my blog FACES OF GRIEF posts for today. One student has a face burned so badly I cannot tell if they are male or female. Another student crys “I want to die” after burying some of his friends today. I really don’t know how the Iraqis can get up day after day and continue their lives.

So, to Vampire Joe and ALL the people who have profited from arms manufacturing and ALL the people who have made a living from arms manufacturing and ALL the people who believe in violence to solve problems or get whatever they want, and to ALL the people who helped get this war (or any war) started – yes, corporate media, that means YOU ………..let me dedicate this song to YOU. Because it is all about you!

Masters of War -- Bob Dylan

Come you masters of war

You that build all the guns

You that build the death planes

You that build the big bombs

You that hide behind walls

You that hide behind desks

I just want you to know

I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'

But build to destroy

You play with my world

Like it's your little toy

You put a gun in my hand

And you hide from my eyes

And you turn and run farther

When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old

You lie and deceive

A world war can be won

You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes

And I see through your brain

Like I see through the water

That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers

For the others to fire

Then you set back and watch

When the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion

As young people's blood

Flows out of their bodies

And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear

That can ever be hurled

Fear to bring children

Into the world

For threatening my baby

Unborn and unnamed

You ain't worth the blood

That runs in your veins

How much do I know

To talk out of turn

You might say that I'm young

You might say I'm unlearned

But there's one thing I know

Though I'm younger than you

Even Jesus would never

Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question

Is your money that good

Will it buy you forgiveness

Do you think that it could

I think you will find

When your death takes its toll

All the money you made

Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die

And your death'll come soon

I will follow your casket

In the pale afternoon

And I'll watch while you're lowered

Down to your deathbed

And I'll stand o'er your grave

'Til I'm sure that you're dead