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April 22, 2004
Iraq vs Vietnam
At Africana, Jelani Cobb suggests that we've got another Vietnam on our hands.
I would suggest a comparison of numbers. First of all, let's start with a math question. What is 22 x 254? That's the number of soldiers who died in Vietnam, just from California. If you care about the dead, perhaps you might check out their names. The answer is somewhere north of 5500, which is more than 8 times as many American soldiers as have died in Iraq. At the current rate of American casualties it will take 8 years of occupation in Iraq to match the number of Vietnam dead from California alone.
Look around you. Do you see any mass demonstrations in the streets of America? NO. It's because Americans can count. That's reason number one why this is not 'another Vietnam'.
Do you know what Congress was debating yesterday? They were debating whether or not National Guardsmen on active duty in Iraq will be penalized for early withdrawl of funds from their IRAs. If this were Vietnam, I daresay they'd be a lot more worried about whether they're ever going to see America again, much less the tax rates on their stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
Moral outrage is a good and fine tool in politics, but let's keep things in perspective. The occupation of Iraq is not another Vietnam, it's not even another Gulf War. It is what it is, so let's pay attention to that and leave historical comparisons to the time in the future when this occupation actually will be history.
Posted by mbowen at April 22, 2004 11:59 AM
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Comments
So you can only think about your selves, yeah right! only 750 US Solders have died, but over 10,000 Iraqi Civilians Have died and over 4,000 Iraqui Soldiers Have died, continue thinking about your selves the US is digging it's own cript.
Many Generations will hate the Flag with stars and red stripes, This is the begginning of war, you are getting a Enemy that will last decades.
What was the reason of this war? o yeah! WMD's
I though it was the Oil, or getting richier when US contrtactors begin building the destructed cities.
Stop thinking about your selves, this is not about how many US have died, or freeing Iraqi people, common! this is about reactivating the economy, those bombs being dropped in Iraq had a due date anyway.
Posted by: Alicia at May 11, 2004 05:10 PM
Oops! Forgot what this is about.
Iraq Vs Vietnam.
It is not the numbers, it's about mental health of US people. That is how you can compare it against Vietnam. April has being the bloodiest month for US Soldiers, since War begun, But Bush Says that the war is over...
Once again you only think about yourselves, 58,000 US Soldiers killed in vietnam, But over 5 millions vietnamese killed.
Remember Pearl Harbor? Japan attacked US Soldiers, but then the US dropped Nuclear bombs killing Thousands of civilians.
But you are trying to free Iraqis, like you were trying to free Vietnamese from the communist.
Over and over again, US continues making other people's lifes miserable, claiming they were trying to help. Yeach sure help yourselves getting richier, when it comes to build more weapons, and reconstruct the cities destructed by the army and bombs.
That is how you can compare it against Vietnam.
Posted by: Alicia at May 11, 2004 05:23 PM
So Americans can Count, can they mbowen? Just wait until we institure the draft and all those rich kids are in jepardy of being drafted! You will see rioting in the streets!
Posted by: Eddie at October 28, 2004 11:59 AM
yet we re-elected this man
Posted by: Tom at November 4, 2004 08:41 PM
I ONLY KNOW ONE THING ABOUT THE U.S. INVASION ON IRAQ AND THAT IS "OIL" OF THE REGION BY WHICH MR.BUSH CAN REBUILD THE ECONOMY WHICH HE HAD WASTED IN WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AND THESE WAR ARE STILL GOING ON AND THEY WILL GO ON EVEN TILL NEXT ELECTION 2009; I AM SURE. BUSH IS A FOOL AND HE LACKS "SENSE OF PROPORTION AND JUDGEMENT" , HE IS AN SPJ CASE.
Posted by: Wahab at December 30, 2004 07:26 AM