Romancing Iraq's Casualty Numbers

A suicide car bomber "penetrated tight security to strike an Iraqi military base on Sunday in the deadliest of a series of attacks that killed at least 42 people across Iraq." (WaPo)

And.... mortars, and airstrikes and gunmen opening fire on passengers waiting for buses.... "The attacks underscored the fragility of Iraq's security, despite a decline in violence over the past year. They also came as the U.S. military death toll in Iraq nears 4,000."

At least we're told there has been a decline in the violence, due to a large extent to a cease-fire called by the leader of the biggest Shiite militia, the Mahdi Army of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

But this is why we might wonder at the truth of the claim of a decline in violence, and the cease-fire...... some of "the violence was reported by police officials who declined to be identified because they weren't supposed to release the information."

That's right, the Bush administration has strict guidelines about what is reported as war casualties.... the small print of administrative obfuscation.

And, oh yes, the rocket and mortar attack into the U.S. "Green Zone" in Baghdad.... appeared to be fired "from areas of eastern Baghdad" where the Mahdi Army operates.

Bush's sorry war has no strategy for winning.... just tactics to try to staunch the violence.... with the Bush administration filtering the news through their own blood-rose colored glasses.

With The Decider determined to justify his monumental Iraq blunder by "winning," he'll keep our military and treasury committed to this deadly, stalemated tug-of-war until he leaves office.

Until then expect only "winning" news about Bush's proclaimed "romantic" war.

Mirroring Imus

Frank Rich, the brilliant New York Times columnist, hit the ball out of the park today with his editorial "Everybody Hates Don Imus." He catalogues the "astounding display of hypocrisy, sanctimony and self-congratulations from nearly every side of the debate, starting with Al Sharpton...."

For those of you who didn't hear the full context of the Imus remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, just the selectively edited sound bites that the media focuses on, here they are.

The reaction to this "humor," ... really a dialog with Imus's evil twin and show producer Bernie.... was a resounding enough-is-enough.

While Imus defenders like to point out the many good works of Imus, that argument is like saying the penalty for the mass murder of 33 young men by John Wayne Gacy should be lessened because Gacy spent his spare time entertaining children by dressing up as a clown.

Imus was a mass slurmeister and is now paying the consequences. As Imus said of himself.... "I dished it out for a long time, and now it's my time to take it."

One of the most troubling aspects of the whole incident is the way it buried other news of import, like the devastating bombing in the Baghdad Green Zone.... glossed over in the media's rush to make ratings and the big $$$ on the Imus controversy.

Which brings us to the bottom line.... Why the Imus-type of entertainment?... Why the media capitalizing?... Why the downward-spiraling coarsening of America? Because, the public likes, tolerates or even demands it.

Until that image in my and your mirror says "Enough" nothing will change.