1617

[brettdale]

1617 US Troops have now died in Iraq.

[bluestateguy]

1. You shut your mouth! They died for your freedom!

I have to make some more Kool-Aid now.

[DrDebug]

2. Make it one cup less

Since #1617 won't be coming home...

It's just a number until it becomes somebody you know...

[caty]

4. Is that number accurate?

I heard that if a soldier is wounded in Iraq, but dies in another country, he/she is not added to that count.

[bluestateguy]

5. Technically yes

But that's why we have people who run the icasualties.org website. They track all deaths, so as to not let the Pentagon get away with cooking the books.

[caty]

7. Thanks for clearing that up for me

[DrDebug]

6. Indeed. Like bluestateguy says

The total is now 1797. That means that soon - probably meaning tomorrow or the day after - it'll be at 1800 and it'll be over 2000 before the year is over unless there's a miracle.

Let's pray for a miracle, ok?

[PurityOfEssence]

3. Another 600 or so, and we match the War of 1812; 200 after that and

we match the Spanish-American War.

We'll be in Iraq--and elsewhere, tbd--for a very long time.

Unless we reinstitute the draft, we'll have a Spanish-speaking army of hopeful immigrants. Just you wait. We'll fuck 'em, we'll abuse 'em, they'll die like flies and get endless grief, but they'll deserve their hard-fought citizenship, and I hope we make good on the bargain.

It's so sad that Don Rumsfeld's so old; I'd like him to live another 50 years burdened by the shame and ignominy of all this. At least Junior's younger; may he live to be a million.