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2004-09-17 Home Front: Culture Wars

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Posted by tipper 2004-09-17 11:49:42 AM|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1753 views since 2007-05-07] Top

1 Still too pessimistic. I use the "L.A. model", that is, how is Iraq doing compared to Los Angeles? Granted, Iraq is the size of France, with about 3 times as many people, but otherwise, how do they stack up?
Right now, there are still "hot spots" in Iraq that the military is reducing--as military operations. But what percentage of the country has become "under ordinary police jurisdiction?"

Distinguishing the two leads to some very different viewpoints. Except for the hot spots, "crime", what is left over, is maybe twice that of Los Angeles. If you take a particularly frequent crime, say kidnappings, and say they are extraordinary, I can point to otherwise peaceful countries in central and South America with kidnapping rates just as high.
So, what percentage of the country is "at war" and what percentage is "at peace"?
One of the mistakes of the left is using the "Canada Standard" in judging Iraq: that is, until Iraq is *just like Canada*, then it is a chaotic quagmire. Realism dictates that Iraq will be a vibrant, and yes, violent place for a while; but this does not mean that it is any the more damned than is L.A.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-09-17 12:40:21 PM|| 2004-09-17 12:40:21 PM|| Front Page Top

2 Anon - have ever been to LA? you talk as if there are gunnies all over the place? it is a great place to live...yes there are some very poor areas but come on you got the same thing in Kansas City!!! all in all i would pick LA over most areas..but then I like the woman, beaches, acitvities..the night life...

Posted by Dan 2004-09-17 1:54:52 PM|| 2004-09-17 1:54:52 PM|| Front Page Top

3 Samra,
Fallujah,
Najaf,
Tikrit,
Sadr City district of Baghdad

Haven't 90%+ of our combat deaths been in these places since the beginning of the year?

There's a whole lot of Iraq besides these places.

Posted by BigEd 2004-09-17 1:57:45 PM|| 2004-09-17 1:57:45 PM|| Front Page Top

4 #3 Samra, Fallujah, Najaf, Tikrit, Sadr City district of Baghdad Haven't 90%+ of our combat deaths been in these places since the beginning of the year? There's a whole lot of Iraq besides these places

Really? I don't believe you . . . you must be one of those evil bloggers that hate sKerry and frEdwards. It is just plain wrong to intimate that there mught be anything going on in Iraq but the killing of newborn babies and orgies in prisons.

Oh, wait . . . I remember. I am educated and intelligent. Sorry. Lost my senses there for a minute . . .

Posted by Jame Retief 2004-09-17 2:07:02 PM|| 2004-09-17 2:07:02 PM|| Front Page Top

5 ...you must be one of those evil bloggers that hate sKerry and frEdwards.

And I have bunny-wabbit feet on my pajama bottoms!

Posted by BigEd 2004-09-17 2:10:59 PM|| 2004-09-17 2:10:59 PM|| Front Page Top

6 I agree this seems too pessimistic. A recent report from the Justice Department cited US crime statistics at a 30-year low, with instances of violent crime (assault, sexual assault and armed robbery) at 23 per 1000 people age 12 and older (vs. 50 per 1000 in 1993). In addition there were 319 property crimes per 1000. The article didn't give a rate for murder but a total for 2003 of 16,420.

Posted by Sharon in NYC 2004-09-17 3:46:31 PM|| 2004-09-17 3:46:31 PM|| Front Page Top

7 16,420 would be about 5.7 per 100,000

Posted by BigEd 2004-09-17 3:55:42 PM|| 2004-09-17 3:55:42 PM|| Front Page Top

8 See also Belmont Club for analysis by geographical area.

Posted by eLarson 2004-09-18 2:44:46 AM|| [http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2004-09-18 2:44:46 AM|| Front Page Top

9 And I have bunny-wabbit feet on my pajama bottoms!

If you have a set of footies for real, post a link where I can get a pair too. ;o)

Posted by badanov 2004-09-18 9:41:25 AM|| [http://www.rkka.org] 2004-09-18 9:41:25 AM|| Front Page Top

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