Media Negativity

[96B]

I think the news media spends alot of time focusing on negative aspects of the conflict and making things sound worse than they are. Earlier CNN had all these estimates for casualties and numbers as much as 17,000! It seems like all I hear about is how many boys we have already lost and how theres probably gonna be alot more and this and that. Why cant they just focus on whats going on in the conflict rather than try to predict the future deaths? Americans for the most part have become used to seeing no casualties at all hardly in our conflicts and when as much as 5 or 10 guys die, everybody is shocked and calls it severe. I am definately not trying to be insensitive, and I dont want to see even a single allied death, but this is war. We should just be prepared to hear about them incase they happen because there is very tough fighting going on over there. With all these idiots fake surrenduring and dressing up in civilian clothes, I heard that they are working on changing the rules of engagement to try to prevent it from happening again. Personally I think that since the Iraqis are getting dirty then we definately need to, and start taking less prisoners if thats what it takes.

[papabear]

I wonder if this mentality can at all be helped. Afterall, it might influence the use of resources in the military itself.

To take a possible example, I believe several of those who were wounded by the grenade attack at Camp Pennsylvania were airlifted to Germany for surgery. Do we not have sufficient medical facilities in the region itself?

This is not to say that the best possible medical treatment shouldn't be provided for our wounded. It's a question of allocating and using our resources wisely. Otherwise, we remain open to the charge that we consume resources wastefully, even if it is for a good purpose.

On the other hand, if death is seen as the worst evil that can befall someone, then it's not surprising that some of those protesting the war, and many within American society who are not opposed to the war, think the causes of death should be eliminated at all costs.

As for the treatment of POWs... not only has the US has agreed to the Geneva conventions, but it's a part of just-war theory that non-combatants, including those in the military who have surrendered, be treated humanely. Our country is good only insofar as the people who make it up are good and live up to these standards...