Another link I picked up yesterday during a visit to Josh Buermann’s blog:
Americans lowball Iraqi death toll
Poll shows knowledge of U.S. dead, but huge underestimation of Iraqis
The Associated Press
updated 11:17 a.m. CT, Sat., Feb. 24, 2007
Iraqi civilian deaths are estimated at more than 54,000 and could be much higher; some unofficial estimates range into the hundreds of thousands. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq reports more than 34,000 deaths in 2006 alone.
Among those polled for the AP survey, however, the median estimate of Iraqi deaths was 9,890. The median is the point at which half the estimates were higher and half lower.
Christopher Gelpi, a Duke University political scientist who tracks public opinion on war casualties, said a better understanding of the Iraqi death toll probably wouldn’t change already negative public attitudes toward the war much. People in democracies generally don’t shy away from inflicting civilian casualties, he said, and they may be even more tolerant of them in situations such as Iraq, where many of the civilian deaths are caused by other Iraqis.
“They may be even more tolerant of them in situations such as Iraq, where many of the civilian deaths are caused by other Iraqis.” Especially when the “other Iraqis” are acting in tandem with U.S. forces?
The flip side to Hendrik Hertzberg’s interpretation of John McCain’s Iraq policy. It doesn’t matter how many Iraqis are killed by the U.S. and its surrogates. The killing will continue until the U.S. can micromanage Iraq and the region without interference and its leaders are puppets on a string.
The Straight Talk Express has pulled into the station.
Radiohead – A Wolf at the Door