Does it not seem Americans don't care about the deaths of thousands of innocent Iraqis?

Question

It sometimes seem it is only the American deaths we care about. I wonder when and if the extent of the damage we caused over there will ever hit home? And, yes I know I am helping terrorists and need to leave the US and move to France and I am undermining our war by asking questions. This should satisfy some of you.

For Kheko, this is exactly the response I anticipated. The greater danger lies in the insecurity that is just beneath the intensity of your response. Its not too far away from violence that denies others the right to ask questions or express contray opinions. This is fear-driven rhetoric and it underscores my point. Many people if not actually supportive of the Iraqi death tolls caused by US milityary collateral damager, are tacitly acquisescent. I saw identical "loveit or leavit " imperatives when I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War era. So does it not seem some Americans are unconcerned about the death of thousands of innocent Iraqis since our invasion and occupation? You have made my point.

Answer 1

Of course we do not care how many Iraqis get killed. The only thing we care about is the Iraqi oil and the strategic position Iraq has in the middle east. From there the U.S. military is everywhere quick. Syria to the north-west, Iran to the east, Saudi Arabia is protected and Israel has it's protector living next door. Please do not think that we would ever leave nor ever had the plan to do so. Why do you think we have no exit strategy? We never planned to exit.

As of today about 130000 Iraqis have been killed. The fact that we don't know exactly and do not keep count should show how much value we place on Iraqi lives. Iraqi lives are pretty much as valuable as an empty Coke can. We are there for the oil. Oil is what our country keeps going. It is our live-blood, because we are caught in the arrogant believe that we have to drive humongous cars that consume more gas than two moderate cars. Our excessive life-style is paid for by the blood of the Iraqi people.

I personally would like to apologize for that and hope that in a few hundred years this country will have come to it's senses and be a respected member of the international community again. The damage the Bush junta did to our country and to this world cannot be repaired in a few decades and will leave lasting scars on civilization as such.

Please accept my apologies.

Answer 2

Thousands more were killed before the intervention of the U.S. Your problem is you haven't taken the time to research all the good we've done ove there.
To mention a few....
1. Over 400,000 kids have up to date immunizations.
2. School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
3. Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and freed of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
4. The port of Ukhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off loaded from ships faster.
5. The country had it's first 2 billion barrel of oil exported in August.
6. Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
7. The country now recieves 2 times the electrical power than it did before the war.
8. 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
9. Elections are taking place in every major city and city councils are in place.
10. Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city..
11. Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
12. Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
13. Over 400,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets, side by side with American Soldiers.
14. Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
15. Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
16. An Interim constitution has been signed.
17. Girls are allowed to attend school.
18. Text books that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 tears.

Don't believe for a second that these people don't want us there. They say they may never see the freedoms that we talk about. But they hope their children will.
We are doing a good job in Iraq. And I challenge anyone anywhere to dispute me on these facts.

Answer 3

I get your point, but actually there's much coverage about the civilian deaths in Iraq now. For a while they weren't being reported at all. Remember the US had control of the government for over two years (the Civilian Authority) and most reporters have to stay in the Green Zone if they want to live. And it was US government policy not to tally civilian deaths in Iraq!

But now the Baghdad morgue figures are coming to us. These are just the people who are found already dead, they don't include bombing victims who are taken to the hospital before they expire. Most have been killed by Shia death squads and militias. In Baghdad, over 5700 people were killed in July and August. If you watch the news at 630, they cover this. There was a short piece on the NBC news the other day on a coffin making company. They're employing more carpenters than ever.

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Kehk... we have to consider that it would be much worse if we left, I agree. Why the belligerence? The questioner already self-flagellated as a post script to his question. He might have listened to your point if you didn't alienate him with invective.

Answer 4

I can only speak for myself. Yes I do care that civilians are being killed in Iraq. But then again I think we have more people die in the US in traffic accidents each year than Iraqi's living in a combat zone. You know the sad part about the mess there is that ITS Iraqis KILLING Iraqis and causing all the deaths at the moment.

What else do you want the US to do. We already have troops on the ground trying to maintain the peace. Why doesn't the people of Iraq rise up and put the militant SHIA and SHITES in check.

That's my $.02.

Answer 5

Hey John- Saddam was killing that many a year every year before we entered Iraq. He tortured children and athletes used poison gas on Kurds and started wars with most of his neighboring countries. But I guess that wasn't our problem right. Most of the Iraqi's being killed are being killed by Arabs, not Americans.
BRAVO Larry

Answer 6

Hey, have YOU considered that maybe MORE Iraqi would be killed by terrorists if Americans left? I agree with you... you ARE helping the terrorist and, yes, you ARE undermining the war and yes, you should move but NOT to France... move to Iraq. THAT would satisfy a lot of us, including ME. Satisfied now? Do you need help packing your crappy few rags and shitty belonging so you can move to Irak as soon as possible?

YOUR problem is that you don't appreciate what WE have here and you would deny that to other people, like the Muslims that want to live and worship in peace and safety and enjoy democracy, where they can educate their children and live free.

You talk the talk but don't walk the walk... what are YOU doing to help someone less fortunate than you? What HAVE you ever done to help anyone less fortunate than you? Talk is cheap and it is so cheap that anyone can afford to do it, and selfishness is something that even YOU should know is shameful... don't tell others of your selfishness.

Answer 7

Judging from the responses, few seem to care that (according to different estimates) between 50,000 and 250,000 Iraqis have been killed simply because we wanted to capture 1 bad guy. There are those, myself included, who do care.

I find it funny that so many fundamentalist Christians support the killing of innocents in an unjustified war but oppose the killing of innocents through abortion. Maybe I need to upgrade to a newer version of the Bible so I can understand why.

Answer 8

As an Amer i care deeplyfor humans of any race and religion,esp helpless children who are killed and lives runined by a war based onlies... and I vote for such candidates that are against war. For those who think "its war, but its neceesary to avoid worse" I recently read an article(see link below) that refutes that notion very logically ,non-partisan I highly recommend it for those who push that falacy. It's not like eating your vegetables- you "may not like war but it's good for you" I suppose we can justify self defense but its hard to find a war that was really started in self defense-esp modern wars. The sad part is it is NOT making us safer, we are at more and more risk becasueof these invasions and killings. Sure there are plenty of "bad guys" around out there, but it is not always wise to kill everyone off that we feel is dispicable-sometimes we can use other methods-read the article.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/higgs/higgs48.html

Answer 9

It may seem that way to you, but Americans in general do not like to see humans killed if we did there would be a lot more bombs getting dropped for less reasons. Fear the day when we get hit again on US soil. we won't be so nice next time.

Answer 10

You are missing the whole point. Your thinking is flawed.
Since you care sooo much, do something nice for an elderly neighbor.
That way you can actually do some real good instead of just idle prattle.