Comments on: We’re batting .060 at our checkpoints in Iraq. http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/07/were-batting-060-at-checkpoints/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:34:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: grumpypilgrim http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/07/were-batting-060-at-checkpoints/comment-page-1/#comment-918 grumpypilgrim Sun, 09 Jul 2006 04:04:13 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=300#comment-918 I've heard that a relatively large percentage (~30%) of the American troops returning from Iraq require mental health counseling, with some fraction of these troops showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. So, here's my question: if trained, seasoned American soldiers are having serious emotional problems because of what's going on in Iraq, what is happening to Iraqi civilians? What sorts of emotional problems are they having and, more importantly, what treatment are they getting? And what about the children? If adult soldiers are having psychological problems because of the violence, what about the kids? More to the point: exactly how much sense does it make to shoot up a country, create a whole generation of traumatized (even orphaned) children, then blindly declare you are "winning the war on terrorism" when you have no idea how many of those kids will become tomorrow's suicide bombers? Bush's unnecessary, illegal invasion has killed over 150,000 Iraqis (including more than 50,000 civilians) and maimed many more. This in response to a terrorist attack that killed just 3,000 Americans and that had NOTHING to do with Iraq. If, say, Australia, instead of America, had been hit by Al Qaeda and had lost 3,000 of its citizens, and if the Aussies had responded by invading America (based on fraudulent intelligence) and causing more than 150,000 American fatalities, what do you suppose the odds would be that Australia would be free from terrorist attacks by disgruntled Americans? Now, instead of America, substitute a nation in which at least some of its religious fundamentalists celebrate martyrdom. I don't know about other Americans, but I'd sure like to know what metric the Bush Administration is using to conclude that it is "winning" anything from its fraudulent invasion. I’ve heard that a relatively large percentage (~30%) of the American troops returning from Iraq require mental health counseling, with some fraction of these troops showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. So, here’s my question: if trained, seasoned American soldiers are having serious emotional problems because of what’s going on in Iraq, what is happening to Iraqi civilians? What sorts of emotional problems are they having and, more importantly, what treatment are they getting? And what about the children? If adult soldiers are having psychological problems because of the violence, what about the kids?

More to the point: exactly how much sense does it make to shoot up a country, create a whole generation of traumatized (even orphaned) children, then blindly declare you are “winning the war on terrorism” when you have no idea how many of those kids will become tomorrow’s suicide bombers? Bush’s unnecessary, illegal invasion has killed over 150,000 Iraqis (including more than 50,000 civilians) and maimed many more. This in response to a terrorist attack that killed just 3,000 Americans and that had NOTHING to do with Iraq. If, say, Australia, instead of America, had been hit by Al Qaeda and had lost 3,000 of its citizens, and if the Aussies had responded by invading America (based on fraudulent intelligence) and causing more than 150,000 American fatalities, what do you suppose the odds would be that Australia would be free from terrorist attacks by disgruntled Americans? Now, instead of America, substitute a nation in which at least some of its religious fundamentalists celebrate martyrdom.

I don’t know about other Americans, but I’d sure like to know what metric the Bush Administration is using to conclude that it is “winning” anything from its fraudulent invasion.

]]>