Now, while I cannot claim to hold an equal amount of blind loyalty to a failed policy and a certifiable idiot, I can make the claim of holding a university degree in mathematics and of having more than a decade of experience in industry in the field of metrics collection and analysis. And whenever I see a numerical claim that raises an eyebrow, I tend to take a firsthand look at the numbers in question.

With that in mind, it gives me no small pleasure to expose the utter bullshit behind the fantasy-driven conclusions put forth by our truthtarded friend here.

You see, it's somewhat absurd to interpret anything from your claim, for several reasons:

1. The aggregate number of deaths, comparing the 10 years of the 80's to the four full years since the invasion of Iraq is ridiculous. The only fair comparison would be to look at the four-year stretch from 2003 through 2006 and compare it with the same four-year stretch in the 80's (1983-1986).

2. However, even then, as the invasion did not take palce until March 2003, and the subsequent occupation did not begin until late-April, the best data set for comparing the 1980's to post-war Iraq would only be the years 2004, 2005, and 2006, and their corresponding years in the 80's.

3. The total number of deaths is not the correct metric (read: it is a bullshit metric), considering there were, on average, 37% more serving U.S. military personnel during the 1980's than there have been since the invasion of Iraq. Of course one would expect more aggregate deaths.

4. The correct metric by which to analyze and compare the death rate would to compare the per capita death rate.

5. Another correct, i.e., not misleading comparison, would be between the rates during the Iraq war and the years immediately before the war. This comparison is far more relevant as it represents a similar-sized military under the command of a single Commander in Chief and reflects contemporary best practices meant to mitigate accidental death and injury.



Now, using the very same numbers in the very same Congressional report:

The average per capita death rate of U.S. military FTE from 1984-1986 was 9 in 10,000 (.000893). By comparison, the death rate between 2004-2006 was 11 in 10,000, a 22.2% increase over the corresponding years in the 1980s.

If one compares the rates since this administration took office, the average death rate for before Iraq (2001 and 2002) is only 6 deaths per 10,000. Compared with the average rate from 2004-2006 of 11 deaths per 10,000 means that in the three full years of post-war occupation in Iraq, the rate of death among U.S. military personnel has increased 83.3%... meaning it
has almost doubled.


Those are the truth in the numbers you provided. Thanks, PACNW, for bringing these alarming statistics to our attention for all the world to see.