Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Meanwhile in Iraq ...

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  • Tom Semmens,

    God Iraq is depressing. Unfortunately, because of the country they lead, Cheney and Bush will probably die old men in their beds instead of in the prison cells where they so richly deserve to reside for this unmitigated disaster.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    Militiamen in BMWs rode around the neighborhood with megaphones, demanding that residents evacuate.

    Never again, huh?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Thomas,

    God Iraq is depressing.

    tell me about it. what more can be said?

    on the other hand, its nice and sunny outside

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    It's interesting how analysis of Iraq's situation inevitably does micro comparisons of the changes from one month to the next in various stats. But for years the overall story has simply been shit. The micro analysis is a good way of losing track of the big picture, and any stat that goes the right way can suddenly be seen as good news.

    Civilian death toll is down to 10 a day. Imagine if Australia (as an example of a nation of similar size) had a civilian death toll at all. Or was regularly discovering piles of headless corpses. You wouldn't be saying "Ah yes, but it was only 20 corpses - last time it was 21, so it's 5% better".

    It's much like the war on drugs, where any look at the big picture shows a war lost decades ago. But if you focus on seizures and other nebulous statistics of success, then cool, progress is being made.

    It's a trick used in management all the time. Once people get accustomed to shit news, then their expectations shift, and the ups and downs can be carefully seized on to achieve various ends (usually getting more money or avoiding work). The overall failure is forgotten. The bigger the failure the more easily it is forgotten - no company wants to believe that one of their earnest and well-meaning managers is losing them huge amounts of money, when they specifically hired him to reverse that trend.

    Another trick that seems to have found it's way in is the making of mountains out of molehills. For instance, getting US troops out of Iraq. If you break that particular task down into the steps that will be actually followed, it sounds like a monstrous task. Of course there are millions of things to do to achieve it. But since armies are actually designed to be just up and moved around, and they were able to get themselves into Iraq in only a few months, it seems likely they could get out with similar ease. Especially since it sounds like they really really want to.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Civilian death toll is down to 10 a day. Imagine if Australia (as an example of a nation of similar size) had a civilian death toll at all. Or was regularly discovering piles of headless corpses. You wouldn't be saying "Ah yes, but it was only 20 corpses - last time it was 21, so it's 5% better".

    The remarkable thing is the way the wingnut dead-enders eagerly hail such marginally-less-shit news as victory and vindication. Hence: "The Miracle of Anbar", in which the province was handed over to the control of the Sunni leadership the war was supposed to unseat.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Mother Jones has an entire issue about withdrawing from Iraq

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    The remarkable thing is the way the wingnut dead-enders eagerly hail such marginally-less-shit news as victory and vindication.

    Yup, if the news continues in this pattern it can only get better - when Iraq is completely depopulated, and there is no one left to kill.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of "ordering and authorizing" torture...

    The exercise of universal jurisdiction is looking like a trend:

    George W. Bush currently enjoys official immunity from prosecution, as a serving government official. Come January 2009, he might very well forego visits to Germany, where suits have been filed on behalf of four Iraqi victims of torture.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    Actually, the thing that gives me the biggest shits in so much of this coverage is the self-pitying tone for US and British coverage. "Oh, it's a tragedy, we've lost 171 British troops."

    Volunteer members of armies that invaded another nation, fueled by a pack of lies, and are responsible, directly and indirectly, for some indeterminate number of hundreds of thousands of deaths, but they're the real victims.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    News out of Iraq seems to be slowly drying up as represented by Zeyad's blog.

    The mainstream U.S. media continues its effective news blackout on Iraq security developments, with the remaining scant coverage devoted to partisan "Iraq policy" debate on the domestic front. And in this case, no news means good news for the average American, which explains why I often receive emails from ideologues asking me why I am not acknowledging that the "tide has turned" or that "we are winning" in Iraq.

    So, while I've not had much time lately to update the blog, and since virtually all Iraqi bloggers have left Iraq anyway, I'll point out a local Iraqi wire agency that is increasingly posting dispatches in English. Of course most of the content is still in Arabic, but at least you'll get a much better picture of the security situation in Iraq from what is available than what you get from American news outlets:

    http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/index.tpl

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    rogerrd - They may be volunteers, but only volunteers after a fashion, especially in the United States Army were the inordinate percentage of the army is recruited from the trailerparks and ghettoes of the western worlds least socially mobile nation.

    But even volunteer soldiers should be able to trust those in the political leadership who would order them into harms way to exercise a duty of responsibility and leadership that ensures they are not sent to hell holes where their lives as well as the lives of their victims are wasted for nothing. While the national-centric nature of casualty reporting is almost obscene in its myopia a poor hispanic or black private who joined up for a green card and/or a better future only to be killed for nothing also deserves to be mourned.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Sonic,

    You is still the man Russell

    I took the liberty



    http://christopherhitchenswatch.blogspot.com/2007/10/back-to-iraq.html

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 102 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    Bush never travelled before becoming Prez, so I doubt he'll travel after leaving office. Unlike Clinton he won't be wanting for money, so won't need to do speaking tours.
    What's so depressing about Iraq is that everything that has happened was predictable. In fact it was predicted, and yet the US did it anyway.
    Which is why (despite no real 'factual' proof) my fear is that maybe some of those Christian Fundamentalist Wingnuts in (or in control of) the Whitehouse really did want to bring about 'Biblical Prophecy'.
    Which makes the more obvious reason (they just want the oil, and airbases in the Mid East) a whole lot more palatable in comparison.

    they were able to get themselves into Iraq in only a few months, it seems likely they could get out with similar ease

    Yeah, logisticly they could do it no problem but they know darn well what would happen if they pulled out. Absolute civil war. Massive civillian deaths (much worse than now). And that would (will) be on their heads.
    And the eventual outcome will be an Iranian backed Government enforcing Sharia Law (and cancelling all those sweetheart Oil Contracts the US put in place before leaving). Go figure, you dumbRs' - your worst nightmare come true!!
    Will US history books ever acknowledge this monumental (on every level) cock up??

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Smith,

    If you are looking for bad news on Iraq, you will find it. If you are looking for postive news, it's also there. Depends which side of the fence your are on.

    Since Jan 2007 • 150 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I'll point out a local Iraqi wire agency that is increasingly posting dispatches in English.

    Great link!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    You is still the man Russell
    I took the liberty

    <Blush>

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    But why is it that so much of the 'good news' is of the my-head-doesn't-hurt-so-much-now-you've-stopped-punching-me variety?
    Liberal media bias?

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Martin,

    If you are looking for bad news on Iraq, you will find it. If you are looking for postive news, it's also there. Depends which side of the fence your are on.

    Is the fence keeping me in...or out?

    I would love to see some links to some 'positive' Iraqi news.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 187 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    If you are looking for positive news, it's also there.

    Has an Iraqi squirrel learned to waterski?

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    {quote}I'll point out a local Iraqi wire agency that is increasingly posting dispatches in English.{/quote}

    Thank you, sir - that just got a permanent spot on my bookmarks.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Sonic,

    True Bob, very true

    He wrestles with his conscence but somehow still wins

    http://christopherhitchenswatch.blogspot.com/2007/10/credit-where-it-is-due.html

    Anyway thats enough linkwhoring

    ;)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 102 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Yeah, logisticly they could do it no problem but they know darn well what would happen if they pulled out. Absolute civil war. Massive civillian deaths (much worse than now). And that would (will) be on their heads.

    It's a possibility. It's also a possibility, which I don't see as any less likely, that the same scenario will happen when they do eventually pull out anyway. In the mean time, this state of 'Iraq on the verge of absolute civil war' continues for a lot longer. It becomes 'Civil war in slow motion'.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    Anyway thats enough linkwhoring

    Thanks Sonic. Yes I knew the link would be in there somehere. I was just too lazy to look for it. :)

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

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