Thinking Meat

Here's something to think about: the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq is only now approaching Gulf War I levels.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon on Tuesday raised its count of Americans killed by hostile fire in Iraq since the war began in March to 143, a figure that approaches the 147 killed in the 1991 Gulf War.

Before anyone writes angry comments, yes, I know this is cold comfort to those who sent their loved ones to Iraq never to see them again. I am not here to devalue their lives and discount their deaths. Nonetheless, we live in the real world, and the real world doesn't usually grant us ideal outcomes. I am sorry for the 143 soldiers that died, but I am elated for all those that have not, and will not. We are at war to crush a hideous movement in its infancy. Given the conflict, the enemy we face, and the consequences of continuous appeasement masked by UN euphemisms, 143 dead is a small price to pay. Better a couple of hundred now, than thousands, or millions, later. It's unpleasant to face the world on these terms, but sometimes, cold comforts is all we have.