[Dean's World] Dave Price: Brilliant!

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Price:
Brilliant!
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1202069022.shtml


   Via [1]Tim Blair, a [2]perfect example of how remarkably unserious the
   antiwar left has become:

     The surge raised the violence to greater levels and then lowered
     the numbers with artificial manipulations to a level that had been
     judged unacceptable when the surge began.

   Artificial manipulations? It would be a major scoop if Libby Spencer
   knows of a change in how casualties were counted that could result in
   [3]an 80% drop in the reported casualties without a concomitant drop
   in actual violence, a manipulation which the entire mainstream media
   somehow missed. Please, don't keep us in suspense, Libby; your
   Pulitzer awaits.
   As to the acceptability, of course every violent death is tragic and
   we would like to prevent them all, but while a rate of 500 violent
   deaths a month for a country of 25 million people would certainly be
   unacceptable in more developed nations, it's not that different than
   what emerging countries like Venezuela and [4]Brazil have dealt with
   for some time. For reference, the Brazil rate was 45,000 per year over
   ten years in a country of 190,000, which, adjusted for a country of
   Iraq's size (25 million) works out to about the same 500 violent
   deaths per month that Iraq currently experiences. For further
   reference, the average death rate attributable to the Hussein regime
   was [5]about 7,000 per month.
   The post also [6]incorrently predicts the de-Baathification reform law
   would not be enacted. But this is what really has people riled up:

     For the record, assuming itâs true, I think itâs just horrible that
     whoever was behind this latest disaster used Downâs women to
     perpetrate the bombings but I donât see it as a sign of
     desperation. I see it as a sign of adaptation and a brilliant one
     at that.

   Most people are upset because "brilliant" supposedly implies praise,
   but in context that's clearly not what LIbby means. The real problem
   is rather how simple-mindedly wrong the characterization is.
   A laser-guided JDAM is a brilliant piece of tactical engineering, able
   to strike a target within a few feet from the safety of thousands of
   feet above, and requiring decades of breakthroughs in dozens of fields
   from some of the smartest people in the world. Putting bombs on
   mentally disabled women merely requires one ask "Who is security least
   likely to search?"
   Amusingly, our insurgent-dazzled author then asks:

     Perhaps Mr. Owens can educate me on how our troops are supposed to
     counter this new evil tactic?

   Well, I'm no [7]Bob Owens, but obviously the Iraqi/U.S. security
   forces will start searching disabled women. Perhaps Libby Spencer will
   then write another post praising their "brilliance" -- but somehow I
   doubt it.

References

   1. http://timblair.net/ee/index.php/weblog/death_predicted/
   2. http://cernigsnewshog.blogspot.com/2008/02/surge-success-fades-with-resurgence-of.html
   3. http://www.brookings.edu/saban/~/media/Files/Centers/Saban/Iraq%20Index/index.pdf
   4. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN29599904
   5. http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1170884980.shtml
   6. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq;_ylt=AtjdH11J2dchn4OHT4uNDMxX6GMA
   7. http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/