Use of statistics in Iraq, can we trust them now?

[MTdream]

[quote=DosEquis;92251]

Name a conflict that was complete bullshit in your opinion. One we had no business going in to, no reason to go in to, and nothing really to gain by going there in your view.

quote]


will answer but this is not to the point of this thread at all...

hmmm lets see... how about all the American Indian conflicts? meets your criteria on 2 of 3...we had lots to gain, but outside of "progress" we had no real need to move west, and treat the american indian the way we did...smallpox blankets...etc. etc. etc.

[DosEquis]

Well its good to find a vietnam supporter. Those are even harder to find than Iraq war supporters.

[MTdream]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

Well its good to find a vietnam supporter. Those are even harder to find than Iraq war supporters.

well now that we are completely off topic...this thread should come to an end...


with a simple summary...

statistics never tell the whole story, and statistics can usually tell any story...context...is what tells the real story...

[tbone]

Originally Posted by MTdream

hmmm you must be looking at a different first post than I am....

Here is the first post of this thread...



Make no mistake about it...everything that goes on in DC is about the struggle for power/politics...it is completely sad!!!! but again, you take us off base...

Hmm, seems like to me, that as near of a complete majority as you can get were in support of action due to 9/11....then you have a complete "oh crap moment" by the Left regarding this and it just gave the president too much power...

thus the media and every other left leaning group has jumped on this bandwagon about "bush bad"

So, are you accepting that lives in Iraq are being used by the left for their personal political gain? or are you accepting tha tthe stats surrounding soldiers deaths are being misused and completely out of context i.e. the media is preying upon the ignorance of the average american

• The war in Afghanistan...unprecedented success....
• The war in Iraq....like it or not...unprecedented success
  • Several fronts
    • it is undeniable that we are encountering al qaeda, and terrorists in iraq vs. other locales...if you dont think so, you might want to tell Bin Laden he is wrong...

isntit interesting that he says al qaeda defeated us in somalia before...(but this is off topic)

• Lack of military deaths in Bush admin....incredible...in fact amazing w/conflict

Trying to make the "statistics" say otherwise is completely revisionistic real time history in process...

Statistics are easily manipulated to support any point you wish to make. Statistics are averages and vague comparisons. Advertisers use statistics to price and sell ads. You will frequently see the number 1 comedy or the number 1 network. These are statistics being heavily manipulated and used to gain an advantage. That's what you are doing with these selected numbers.

You are comparing the number of casualities to when we had a lot less technology and life saving devices. Not only that, but when we fought wars differently as well.

Success is subjective as well.

Afghanistan -success? Maybe.....depends on if you view our mission their to displace the Taliban or Al Quaeda. If Taliban, moderate success. If Al Quaeda, miserable failure.

Iraq -success? I don't see anyway possible? Al Quaeda was not in Iraq until after we toppled Saddam. We invaded to rid the country of WMD's and things that were a direct threat to our citizens. We did not invade the country to overthrow a mean dictator. So I don't see how you can say success under any circumstances. Success does not mean losing less life, but completing the original mission and leaving.

I accept Iraq is being used, including lives being lost, by the left for politcal gain, just as Sept. 11th has been used for 6 years by the right for political gain. War is political, it's unfortunate but true.