Numerological sobriety?

I'm having a problem with numbers. The war in Iraq is said to be on the verge of being more wrong than it has ever been before, once the number of American dead rises from 1997 to 2000. The latter is said to be a very important number:

As milestone nears, adding up war losses

U.S. toll in Iraq approaches 2,000.

By Drew Brown

Inquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The American military yesterday announced the combat deaths of four more U.S. troops in Iraq, bringing to 1,997 the number of American service members who have died in Iraq since the war began 21/2 years ago.

A Marine with the Second Marine Division died Sunday in a firefight in Ramadi, Marine officials in Iraq said. Two other Marines and a sailor were killed Friday in two incidents, the Pentagon reported.

With deaths coming at an average of more than two per day, it is likely that the number of dead will reach 2,000 in the next day or two.

Am I supposed to be more against the war when the number of killed in action hits 2000 than I was when it was 1997?

If so, why?

The Inquirer says that the number 2000 will be "a sobering reminder of the human cost of the U.S. presence in that country."

Sobering?

Just as 1997 was just as sobering a reminder, I think 1000 was also a very sobering number. Except I'm not sure what is meant by sobriety.

I just checked with the New York Times, which reports that the number killed has already reached 2000 -- that magic number said to be so "sobering."

But I'm no more sober than I was. At least I don't feel any more sober.

Or is wanting a U.S. victory less than "sober"?

I could be wrong, but I'm getting the distinct impression that "sobriety" is being used as a synonym for wanting the United States to pull out of Iraq.

If higher numbers meant any other kind of sobriety, then we'd fight this war all the harder. (For some perspective, The Jawa Report offers some, er, truly sobering numbers.)


MORE: From Glenn Reynolds:

....driving the war issue is the Baby Boomers' Vietnam era conceit that right-thinking people are always "against the war," regardless of circumstances. Or which war.
Of course, these right-thinking people are more "sober" than anyone else. (Even when drunk.)

UPDATE (10/26/05): Palmetto Pundit sees another reason for the "milestone":

It seems to me the press wanted this "milestone" to occur precisely when it did so that it could be used to overshadow the real milestone that occurred today: The ratification of the Iraqi Constitution.
That sort of news is buried in the interior pages (along with the Brazil's rejection of gun control).

posted by Eric on 10.25.05 at 08:30 PM





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» The Media And Their Meaningless Milestones from Palmetto Pundit
It seems to me the press wanted to this "milestone" to occur precisely when it did so that it could be used to overshadow the real milestone that occurred today: The ratification of the Iraqi Constitution. [Read More]
Tracked on October 26, 2005 01:13 AM



Comments

They're drunk on their own defeatism. In the two World Wars, more American soldiers lost their lives in one battle (remember Okinawa?) than in this entire War in Iraq (which, I must remind you, is but a subset of the War Against the Terror Masters).

iF you compare this War to any War in America's history, you will see how many more have died in any one one of those Wars. But the media are counting on the American people to have no sense of history. And, given the rotten state of the public schools today, they may be right. The media want America to give up, surrender. They are on the side of the enemy. I dare call it treason.

Numerology. Interesting. My favorite number has long been 4. The Holy Quaternity (the Trinity + the Queen of Heaven).

Hmmm.... I didn't hear of anybody saying anything when the number of casualties reached 666.

Brazil rejects gun control -- YAYYYY!!!!



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