Roadside bomb attacks down 90% in Iraq

[Regis Philbin]

Other than this little blip in USA Today the mainstream media completely ignores any U.S. success stories in Iraq or Afghanistan. They only want the violent stories, preferably involving U.S. soldiers being killed or killing civilians. :rolleyes:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-06-22-ieds_N.htm

Roadside bombs decline in Iraq

By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Roadside bomb attacks and fatalities in Iraq are down by almost 90% over the last year, according to Pentagon records and interviews with military leaders.

In May, 11 U.S. troops were killed by blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) compared with 92 in May 2007, records show. That's an 88% decrease.

[LesterX]

Yes, Regis, you're so right. Not one media outlet ever reports anything positive. Oh wait...here's this little gem found on CNN's main news page today:


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- All major indicators of violence in Iraq have dropped by between 40 and 80 percent since February 2007, when President Bush committed an additional 30,000 troops to the war there, the Pentagon reported Monday.
A U.S. Army soldier patrols in Salman Pak, about 15 miles south of Baghdad, on Monday.

A U.S. Army soldier patrols in Salman Pak, about 15 miles south of Baghdad, on Monday.

The quarterly report to Congress noted that the military, political and economic gains made in the five-year-old war remain "fragile, reversible and uneven," and that Islamic jihadists loyal to al Qaeda in Iraq remain capable of high-profile attacks.

But civilian deaths have dropped from a peak of nearly 4,000 a month from December 2006 to January 2007 to about 500 a month as of May, and U.S. troop deaths have dropped from 126 in May 2007 to an all-time low of 19 in May 2008.

The report cited the emergence of the Sons of Iraq as a major reason for the downturn in civilian-oriented violence and deaths. The groups are made up of an estimated 90,000 Iraqis, often former insurgents, paid by U.S. commanders to help protect neighborhoods and provide intelligence on extremists.

U.S. troop deaths and civilian deaths spiked in March, when Iraqis battled militia forces loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra. At the end of March, an operation in Sadr City by U.S. and Iraqi forces to clear out insurgents firing rockets into the Green Zone also kept the death toll up, according to the report.
...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/23/iraq.security/index.html

[Richard Tafoya]

But.... but.... Rush said it was true......

[ConnieB]

Regis is correct...Think about it. How many positive stories do you hear coming from Iraq on a daily basis? We're lucky if we hear one or two a week. But when things were going horrible, we heard about it DAILY!!!!!! There are plenty of good things coming out of Iraq on a daily basis that the media could report on, but they don't want to because it could change how people think about things....and boy the media doesn't want that especially during an election year.

[LesterX]

No, Connie, Regis is not correct and neither are you. Let's review, shall we?

Regis: "Other than this little blip in USA Today the mainstream media completely ignores any U.S. success stories in Iraq or Afghanistan."

It took me all of three seconds on the CNN web site to disprove his statement by finding a "positive" story posted on their main page today. Just like Dave disproved your statement about Obama the other day with no difficulty.

It's no wonder you and Regis love George Bush so much. Facts are meaningless to you and they are meaningless to him.

[Richard Tafoya]

To folks on the right-wing side of things, facts are often inconveniences that are to be shouted down. The thinking is that if you repeat your version of things loudly and frequently enough, some gullible fool will buy it.

Funny thing is, most of the gullible fools tend to be more folks on the right-wing side of things.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

As George Carlin (RIP) one said about the electorate(paraphrasing) "Where do people think politicians come from? They don't just fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They're elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do, folks. Maybe it's not just the politicians that suck. Maybe the public sucks. Garbage in, garbage out. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody."

[SparkleHugs]

Regis is correct...Think about it. How many positive stories do you hear coming from Iraq on a daily basis? We're lucky if we hear one or two a week. But when things were going horrible, we heard about it DAILY!!!!!! There are plenty of good things coming out of Iraq on a daily basis that the media could report on, but they don't want to because it could change how people think about things....and boy the media doesn't want that especially during an election year.


I think in any war, even the ones that are supported by the majority of citizens, there is more horror stories than positive stories. I mean, its WAR for Christ's sake. It's kind of a key component. if it was all sunshine and daisies i dont think it would be war.

[Sasha Reigne]

To folks on the right-wing side of things, facts are often inconveniences that are to be shouted down. The thinking is that if you repeat your version of things loudly and frequently enough, some gullible fool will buy it.

Funny thing is, most of the gullible fools tend to be more folks on the right-wing side of things.

Well let me just say that as a person on the center, the people on the left do pretty much the same thing. Only they add in name calling; bigot, homophobic, anti-immigrant, racist, anti-women, to shut people up as well.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

"God hates Gays." How do you translate that as anything but homophobic?

"Send them all back to Mexico." How do you translate that as anything but anti-immigrant?

"A woman's place is in the home." How do you translate that as anything but anti-woman?

"Obama is too black." How do you translate that as anything but bigoted and racist?

Just a few comments I've heard aired by citizens lately.

[Sasha Reigne]

Im talking about people like myself who are neither racist or homophobic but who get thrown into the category of the bigots simply because we do not agree that everyone who breaks are laws should be awarded with amnesty or that gay marriage should be lega. We are called bigots, racists, and homophobic when we aren't. There is just not far left or far right there are a lot of us in the middle.

[pinky]

Those on the Left don't routinely use the word "conservative" as though it has only four letters in it.

Can the same be said for the Right and the way they use the word "liberal?"

[Sasha Reigne]

So because you just listed a shady tactic that the right uses does that somehow prove that the left doesn't have shady tactics too? I don't believe I ever said the right was innocent in anything, the only thing I said was it is wrong to pretend like people on the left don't do similar bad things as well. Both sides do things and say things that are wrong and need to sit in a corner and take a breather.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Okay, fair enough, Sasha. But if the truth be told, I'll wear the label "liberal" proudly if that label means that I'm willing to spend money to lift up the less fortunate among us regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or sexual preference. It sure beats the labels put on many Republicans for thier policies and ideas, many of which are homophobic, racist, anti-woman and anti-immigrant. Are there centrists who don't share those ideas? Yeah, I'm sure there are. But girl, you swim with the fishes, you end up smelling like fish. Maybe the Independent Party would be a better choice for you.

[pinky]

So because you just listed a shady tactic that the right uses does that somehow prove that the left doesn't have shady tactics too? I don't believe I ever said the right was innocent in anything, the only thing I said was it is wrong to pretend like people on the left don't do similar bad things as well. Both sides do things and say things that are wrong and need to sit in a corner and take a breather.You are correct: both sides use exaggerated terms to describe the other at times.

My point: it is routine for conservatives to spit the word "liberal" as though it's a curse, and not so for liberals to do the same with the word "conservative." IMO, it's nearly impossible for conservatives to consider a liberal opinion to have worth, while liberals are more willing to see the validity of a conservative view, even while disagreeing with it.

[SparkleHugs]

"Send them all back to Mexico." How do you translate that as anything but anti-immigrant?

"A woman's place is in the home." How do you translate that as anything but anti-woman?



I just had a couple of comments on these two examples. It truly AMAZES me how many WOMEN i have heard say that they belong in the kitchen. I have heard more women say this than men. Maybe because its taboo for men to say but for some reason its ok for a women to say it

Regarding, the immigrant comment - I know many people think i am racist simply because I believe if one wants to enter any county from any other country, then that person should do so legally. Or, if they arrive illegally, make the necessary steps to remain there legally. I don't quite get how that is a race issue, I look at is a a legality issue because my opinion stands for whomever, even someone coming over from the EU and has pasty white skin like I do.

oh, and whenever someone wants to say that God hates gays, i often ask them what makes you think God doesn't hate you? they get really offended. :laugh:

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Who says all Mexicans are illegal? And who says all illegals are Mexicans? Somehow, some people have it in their heads that any Hispanic in this country is a) Mexican and b) here illegally. Now, that's racist, ignorant and anti-immigrant, legal or not.

[Sasha Reigne]

DoubleEdgeSword I dont believe I ever said I was a republican. I am not I am independent, I vote for whoever can do the job right and I dont care what the letter after their name is. I used to watch Hannity and Colmes and Sean Hannity is clearly more closeminded than Alan. Sean doesnt want to hear anything anyone who is a liberal has to say. Actually he seems to be getting more annoyed by people in the center. He is getting on my nerves more than Bill O'Riley. Then again I havent watched Bill since January of '07 when he suggested Shawn Hornbeck enjoyed being held captive and sexually assaulted for 4yrs.
I also dont know where this idea is coming from that ne1 on here said all illegals are Mexicans? People like myself and SparkleHugs are called racists or bigots because we feel laws to enter this country should be enforced no matter where the immigrant is from and people automatically want to bring Mexicans into it. Did anyone even mention immigrants from Mexico?

[DoubleEdgeSword]

We were talking about labels, were we not? I can't tell you how many times I've heard the Mexican comment from someone who is anti-immigration. Then, SparkleHugs comes along and quotes it as if it represents a true statement about illegal immigrants, and defends her beliefs about immigration, not noting that the statement itself is as completely outrageous as the one about women, which she did protest.

So, no, nobody mentioned immigrants from Mexico. It's a given.

[SparkleHugs]

We were talking about labels, were we not? I can't tell you how many times I've heard the Mexican comment from someone who is anti-immigration. Then, SparkleHugs comes along and quotes it as if it represents a true statement about illegal immigrants, and defends her beliefs about immigration, not noting that the statement itself is as completely outrageous as the one about women, which she did protest.

So, no, nobody mentioned immigrants from Mexico. It's a given.


No, I completely agree that it is outrageous i was just commenting that it annoys me that people take that outrageous comment one step further and just assume people who dislike illegal immigration are racist also. I guess I assumed that since all of your examples were competely outrageous that it would be infered that that one was also, i was just demonstrating how people take it one step further. I agree with your previous comment's about how people assume all illegal immigrants are hispanic (etc.), that is annoying to me also because there are illegal immigrants from many countries, not just Mexico and not just Central and Southern America. I think you are unnecessary assumptions about what I what I was saying. I have had personal insults based on the immgration comment, and not the women comment, therefore i had different things to say about both outrageous comment.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Thanks for explaining, SH. May I call you SH? ;) It's just that this nation has had a bad habit of jailing, murdering, brutalizing, enslaving, marginalizing, etc. immigrants since, well, since the beginning of this nation. Be it the Chinese, Italians, Poles, Jews, Irish or Hispanics, we've not treated them very kindly. This isn't the first time we've accused them of "taking our jobs," being lazy, causing crime, being ignorant, practicing weird rituals, and on and on and on... Seems we have a long history of not liking those who aren't like us (meaning white). So, we enact laws to keep them out. We did it in 1924. Banned immigration of all Asians, limited southern Europeans (Italians) and eastern Europeans (Jews). They were considered not "white" enough. Immigration law has an interesting history in this country; it's very nature has been racist. This newest focus on Hispanics (which really isn't new; Mexicans were heavily persecuted around the turn of the19th century) is just the latest.

[SparkleHugs]

Sure, most people call me Sparks, but you can call me SH. Have you seen that new reality tv show on ABC about John Hopkins Hopsital? It has a brain surgeon who came here illegally and who picked tomatoes before he went to yale and harvard and became a top surgeon (and a citizen). it's the kind of story that really makes me glad that someone out there is actutally grateful and living the american dream that we all so often take for granted.

In addition to what you were saying, I think that citizenship laws of yore were far more stricter than they are now, having to have their health tested, needing
a trade skill and changing their names etc. I learned in a race and racism class that the Irish were very persecuted back in the day, which was surprising to me because i truly thought the only people who had issues of assimilation and whatnot were people of color. I think immigration history is very interesting also, and its one of the areas of law i am interested in. I figure since i want people to come here legally, then maybe I should get into an area of law helping them do so.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Sparks it is! Yes, I did see that show. What an inspiring story, huh? But let's not discount the millions of other immigrants who are out there working just as hard for thier little piece of the American pie. True, they are all not brain surgeons, but they work every day to support their families, have a good life, and they are just as appreciative as this doctor when they can finally call themselves citizens of the United States.

Your class sounds really interesting. Did you know that as the U.S. passed laws to keep certain groups out (Italians, Jews), they were encouraging immigration from other countries, mostly Scandinavia and other "white" nations. This practice continued well into the 1960s.

Kudos to you for considering immigration law. Oviously it's one area that needs great reform and great minds to help write new legislation. Of course, there will always be immigrants with the money to hire good lawyers, so I hope you'll consider some pro bono work, too.