Good Morning.

Today is our 2,862nd day in Iraq and our 3,390th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4435
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4296
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3576
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 207
Since Operation New Dawn: 17

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,459
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 840
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's Cost of War passing through:

$1, 139, 324, 800, 000 . 00


It's been 20 years. On January 17, 1991, "Operation Desert Storm" began with a vengeance. I remember being glued to the TV, transfixed by the imagery, and actually wanting to hear what the first President Bush had to say about it later that evening. While I count only from the beginning of the current Gulf actions (Operation Iraqi Freedom), perhaps our true count is 7,306 days in Iraq.

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41 comments (Latest Comment: 01/19/2011 02:24:23 by clintster)

I've a few things to say before the world ends this May. Though some say that it could end earlier, by "some" I mean to say "scientists predict that the world will end very soon". Have I cleared that up? Good.

Also since the dawn of the new Zodiac and Velveeta is no longer a Virgo, I am not burdened with those Virgo traits like being practical and analytical and a constant worrier about the impending doom of the end times. It's so freeing!

It seems to me that Americans have our collective panties in a wad and no way to pull them out. It's like we are drowning in the sweaty ass-crack of bitterness, fear and angry rhetoric. I blame Fox News, while Fox News no doubt, blames MSNBC. I suppose CNN sort of slides into the middle, and after watching them recently doing an interview with something called a "Snooki" as well as a story on a water-skiing squirrel I can see why people might call them mediocre.
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3 comments (Latest Comment: 01/17/2011 11:40:15 by BobR)

The tragic shooting in Tucson last weekend has galvanized the nation and dominated the news cycles. When these things happen, we tend to focus on the randomness of them, and the individual human tragedies. The news channels bring out the personal stories of the victims, and Americans as a whole feel connected to them and feel a real sense of loss for a person they've never met nor even heard of until the story broke.

This happens on a regular basis. A young white upper middle class woman goes missing on a Caribbean island, and before you know it, the entire country is holding its collective breath, waiting for the latest update. It's ratings gold for the news channels. Meanwhile, plenty of not-so-white children and adults go missing every day, and there's nary a peep. Their tragic stories go untold, slipping into the all-consuming void of anonymity.
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65 comments (Latest Comment: 03/12/2020 06:32:36 by trustedteller)

There's been a lot written about Jared Loughner, and what might have motivated him to go on his horrific killing spree in Tucson. There have been lots of theories and accusations and suppositions, but very little in the way of concrete data. All we have to go on are his incomprehensible videos and 2nd hand anecdotes from aquaintences. I hope this will be my last treatise on this sick and twisted individual.

The most popular meme in the circus of talking heads is that the "angry rhetoric" and violence-suggestive gun-focused talking points from Republican leaders and pundits is to blame. I initially felt that way as well. After all, it hasn't been that long since a church was shot up for being "liberal", and an abortion doctor was killed. It all fits the pattern, right?

I believe it fits a pattern, yes, but not one provoked by violent gun rhetoric. Instead, I think it falls under the umbrella of paranoid delusion, inflamed by a drumbeat of "the government is out to get you" conspiracy theory.
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41 comments (Latest Comment: 01/13/2011 00:28:43 by BobR)

I don't know what to add that hasn't already been said here and elsewhere. This is what I have been so concerned about -- a political assassination. Make no mistake about it, that is just what this is. The murderer said so himself: We can talk about the atmosphere of hatred that has been building Since the 2008 election campaign. At this point, it would be redundant. What bothers me most is the cover the media has given this atmosphere. There is no doubt in my mind that the vile rhetoric was indeed enabled by a media that refused to report on it honestly. It was fanned by pundits who in turn painted it with a special touch of fear infused hate. Hate was enabled because it was a better and more salacious story for viewers. News became twisted and distorted, and people just got angrier and more upset.
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65 comments (Latest Comment: 01/10/2011 23:22:18 by clintster)