Do You Remember Me?
Comments ... #
posted by jhostetler on May 20, 2008 at 10:32:51 pm #
posted by jhostetler on May 20, 2008 at 10:33:10 pm #
Check out the "holy shit" face on the guy at the bottom left.
posted by jhostetler on May 20, 2008 at 10:37:55 pm #
Yes, bring them home and use the troops to arrest the turds who have broken down the wall between church and state, and taken us to war for biblical fairy tales.... and oil profiteers.
This war was sold and staffed by heavy propaganda. Some of it passed off as news and common knowledge.
With all the externalities added in, like the cost of taking care of wounded troops this is a $3 TRILLION war. Way more profitable (for the right people) than Vietnam, Korea, etc.
Here's the stats updated as of May 14th.
US SPENDING IN IRAQ
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $600 billion of US taxpayers' funds. President Bush has requested about $200 billion more for 2008, which would bring the cumulative total to close to $800 billion.
U.S. Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion in 2008
U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008)
Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)
Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles.
Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.)
Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings
Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion
Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion
Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion
Number of major U.S. bases in Iraq - 75 (The Nation/New York Times)
TROOPS IN IRAQ
Iraqi Troops Trained and Able to Function Independent of U.S. Forces - 6,000 as of May 2007 (per NBC's "Meet the Press" on May 20, 2007)
Troops in Iraq - Total 159,907, including 150,000 from the US, 4,000 from the UK, 2,000 from Georgia, 900 from Poland, 650 from South Korea and 2,357 from all other nations
US Troop Casualities - 4,079 US troops; 98% male. 90% non-officers; 80% active duty, 12% National Guard; 74% Caucasian, 10% African-American, 11% Latino. 18% killed by non-hostile causes. 51% of US casualties were under 25 years old. 70% were from the US Army
Non-US Troop Casualties - Total 311, with 176 from the UK
US Troops Wounded - 30,004, 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries (total excludes psychological injuries)
US Troops with Serious Mental Health Problems - 30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home
US Military Helicopters Downed in Iraq - 68 total, at least 36 by enemy fire
IRAQI TROOPS, CIVILIANS & OTHERS IN IRAQ
Private Contractors in Iraq, Working in Support of US Army Troops - More than 180,000 in August 2007, per The Nation/LA Times.
Journalists killed - 127, 84 by murder and 43 by acts of war
Journalists killed by US Forces - 14
Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed - 8,257
Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated - A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 stating that Iraqi civilian casualities have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualities at over 600,000.
Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000
Non-Iraqi Contractors and Civilian Workers Killed - 552
Non-Iraqi Kidnapped - 305, including 54 killed, 147 released, 4 escaped, 6 rescued and 94 status unknown.
Daily Insurgent Attacks, Feb 2004 - 14
Daily Insurgent Attacks, July 2005 - 70
Daily Insurgent Attacks, May 2007 - 163
Estimated Insurgency Strength, Nov 2003 - 15,000
Estimated Insurgency Strength, Oct 2006 - 20,000 - 30,000
Estimated Insurgency Strength, June 2007 - 70,000
QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS
Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,255,000
Iraqi Refugees in Syria & Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million
Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect
Consumer Price Inflation in 2006 - 50%
Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40%
Iraqi Physicians Before 2003 Invasion - 34,000
Iraqi Physicians Who Have Left Iraq Since 2005 Invasion - 12,000
Iraqi Physicians Murdered Since 2003 Invasion - 2,000
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 1 to 2 hours, per Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (Per Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007)
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 10.9 in May 2007
Average Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 5.6 in May 2007
Pre-War Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 16 to 24
Number of Iraqi Homes Connected to Sewer Systems - 37%
Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies - 70% (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitated - 22%
RESULTS OF POLL Taken in Iraq in August 2005 by the British Ministry of Defense (Source: Brookings Institute)
Iraqis "strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops - 82%
Iraqis who believe Coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security - less than 1%
Iraqis who feel less ecure because of the occupation - 67%
Iraqis who do not have confidence in multi-national forces - 72%
Wow. What a lovely bunch of sentiment.
A video just for support and honor for the brothers, sister, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, etc. that are serving in the military. Nothing political mentioned or intended. Nothing was said about supporting or not supporting the war or stupid Bush, and all you people can post is a bunch of negative crap. Pathetic.
Jerks.
Slathering support for the dead, wounded, and those who otherwise sacrifice, coming from and end timer like yourself FB, is hardly appropriate. Its the likes of you who enabled the uber nazis to LIE to the nation to send our troops to war. So no, we are not enamored to this act of treason. Coming from anybody else it would have been more welcome. Most of us don't need such flag waving crap to pay respects to our soldiers who have been falsely sent to war. We simply talk to our neighbors whose children are now in Iraq. There are plenty of horror stories to be found just next door. Have you wondered FB why Haliburton moved from Texas to Dubai? Its to avoid criminal prosecution after bush is drummed out of office to spend the rest of his life on those 100,000 acres in Paraguay.
Its the likes of you who enabled the uber nazis to LIE to the nation to send our troops to war.
What is your problem with me other than the fact that I'm a Christian? Please stop harassing me out of your hatred and discrimination. You don't even know me.
Where did I ever proclaim that I condone the war?
Where did I proclaim that the video to be my testament of approval for the war?
Would it make you feel better if I also posted something about all the other horrors going on in the world such as Darfur, The Sudan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, earthquake in China, Cyclone in Myanmar, fires in Florida, Katrina, Bird Flu? What would be the point? Would it help solve anything?
You don't own the market on compassion pal. Back off why don't ya?
Sure FB sure, what denomination are you by thy way. I'm a staunch fairytalbeterianist. You do righteous indignation very well, practice I suppose,, but then that is a prerequisite for judging others isn't it. I learned this from the faithful. The "faithful" have done nothing but screw this country up totally, and no amount of flag waving is going to fix that.
Do you or did you belive that this war would bring on the final battle that would bring Jesus to earth? If the answer in your heart is yes, then your video salute to our sacrificed troops is self serving suicide juice.
I don't believe in denominations since they were created by men and their interpretations and traditions. I think (my own thought here) that denominations have polluted faith.
I don't participate in political discussions. I hate politics and I don't care for career politicians either.
I don't believe a war would bring Jesus back to Earth. There is nothing we do that can change whatever God's plan is for the return of His son. Jesus said even He didn't know the hour or the day of His return, only the Father knows.
I believe there are events in current times to show us that we are to be ready. There have been events all through history that made it look like it was the "end of days". There are several different opinions on the subject, but the one I believe is that we are definitely very close. But like I said, it's out of our hands (not in our control) when it will happen.
There is only one thing that hasn't happened yet to fulfill the prophecy of the End Times and it doesn't have anything to do with a war.
Yes, support our troops. Bring them home. This war was waged on false premises and no more of our young men and women need to be killed for Bush's bloodlust for oil.
posted by muddyriverduck on May 20, 2008 at 09:49:02 pm #