Brilliant!
Dave Price
Via Tim Blair, a 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 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 Brazil have dealt with for some time. For reference, the Brazil rate was 45,000 per year over ten years in a country of 190,000,000, 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 about 7,000 per month.
The post also incorrectly predicts the de-Baathification reform law would not be enacted. But this is what really has people riled up:
For the record, assuming it’s true, I think it’s just horrible that whoever was behind this latest disaster used Down’s women to perpetrate the bombings but I don’t 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 or at least acceptance of the immorality of the act, but in context that's clearly not what Spencer 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 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.
hmm... lots of beautiful wordplays off that one.
No matter what the facts are, rationalization is done and everything fits the worldview. The terrorists aren't evil, the USA forced them to strap the bomb to the woman. They were brilliantly adapting to the USA's strength, so it was the fault of the USA.
Easy, eh?
That's the “Three Wise Monkeys” view of reality. As long as you don't hear about it on the evening news, it's not happening.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.