[IamRose]

March 28, 2008

The 4,000 Mark
—David Aikman

Newspapers and politicians like to make a lot of anniversaries out of round numbers. In recent days, people were discussing the magic figure of five years since the start of the Iraq War. Now they are pointing to the figure of 4,000 deaths of American servicemen and servicewomen as, supposedly, a special landmark.

But 4,000 is not a landmark of any kind for the Iraq War any more than the number of Americans who died at Iwo Jima in the Pacific during the Pacific War: 6,821 to be precise.

Any American fighting man or woman who falls in combat is a tragedy and a sacrifice. The question is: was the sacrifice worthwhile? In the case of Iwo Jima, undoubtedly; Japan eventually surrendered. In Iraq, it will be so only if we succeed in establishing a stable, democratic nation at the heart of the Arab world. In this we must succeed.

David Aikman is a veteran journalist and the chairman of Gegrapha.

[MtJerry]

He is a wise man ...

[OFallon]

Reducing our dead to mere numbers and, especially, seeing the number preceded with the word "only" is most distasteful to me.

[CA357]

May they rest in peace, may their families be comforted and may their deaths have not been in vain.

Damn all who would belittle, manipulate or use their sacrifice for their own gain or political ends.

[retiredsquid]

Reducing our dead to mere numbers and, especially, seeing the number preceded with the word "only" is most distasteful to me.

It's most easily said by those that have not lost a loved one, too.

[Vibe]

4000 brave souls is a dear price. However, looking at what some actions have cost in the past, 10,000 casualties on D-Day alone. The value of those "few" is not un-noticed. Does losing fewer men somehow cheapen their service? Not in my view - I see it that their sacrifice bought more - much more.

[IamRose]

I belive that was the point the author was making.


Any American fighting man or woman who falls in combat is a tragedy and a sacrifice.

[shanga]

the freacking BBC was gloating about it. Made me wanna puke.

[will46]

Number 1 has a name. His or her death was a loss to the nation and a tragedy to his or her family.
Number 2 was also.
So was number 3.
.
.
.
.
So was number 3999
So was number 4000
and so will number 4001 be a loss, a tragedy and a hero.

And every life given to a worthy cause, one we must persevere in and win.