Posted by
flagwaver on Sunday, November 19, 2006 9:50:57 PM
I usually don't write about matters of war and peace here, but this is something that I need to say. As we fight the war in Iraq and attempt to establish a working republic there, we are constantly bombarded with casualty reports. The headlines scream with the news of more deaths in Baghdad every day, and the death of every soldier in Iraq is reported as if it is the biggest news of the day.
Now, don't get me wrong here. I am not trying to be cold or callous, but the fact is that in wars soldiers die. I know it sounds mean, but it is the truth; all of the combat veterans here at Townhall can attest to that fact. And while every death is a personal tragedy that will devastate families and communities, the death toll in this conflict is very low. Since our invasion of Iraq in 2003 our armed forces have seen only around 3000 members killed in action. And if you balk at the word 'only' being invoked, let me give you some historical perspective.
I am going to go way back to the Civil War to give you this perspective, but in order to avoid comparing apples to oranges, I am only going to mention the casualties incurred by troops from my home state. In the 5 years of the Civil War North Carolina , with a military aged population of 116,000 military aged men (18-45) sent 120,000 men to fight. The state had 1/9 of the Confederate States' white populace, yet it provided 1/6 of the soldiers that fought for the army of the CSA. And most importantly, the state of North Carolina lost 40,000 men in the fighting! And it took 5 years after the war for the state to restore its economy to prewar levels.
I say that because it pains me to hear the bleating of the media and certain politicians that decry the war effort in Iraq. I am tired of hearing how we are not getting the Iraqi infrastructure repaired, and in some cases created, fast enough. And I am tired of the constant refrain of the price that our troops are paying in blood and lives lost, when the situation is not as bad as it is made out to be.
There have been obvious mistakes made in the execution of this war, and the planning has left much to be desired. It would just be nice if for once the naysayers would look at this though the lens of history. Maybe then their view would not be so distorted.