We're waist deep in the Big Muddy

[Professor Donald Trump]

Falluja Arithmetic Lesson
by Prof. Greg Palast

Monday's New York Times, page 1:

"American commanders said 38 service members had been killed and 275
wounded in the Falluja assault."

Monday's New York Times, page 11:

"The American military hospital here reported that it had treated 419
American soldiers since the siege of Falluja began."

Questions for the class:

1. If 275 soldiers were wounded in Falluja and 419 are treated for
wounds, how many were shot on the plane ride to Germany?

2. We're told only 275 soldiers were wounded but 419 treated for
wounds; and we're told that 38 soldiers died. So how many will be buried?

3. How long have these Times reporters been embedded with with
military? Bonus question: When will they get out of bed with the military?

Monday's New York Times, page 1:

"The commanders estimated that 1,200 to 1,600 insurgents had been
killed."

Monday's New York Times, page 11:

"Nowhere to be found: the remains of the insurgents that the tanks had
been sent in to destroy. ...The absence of insurgent bodies in Falluja
has remained an enduring mystery."


NOT in the New York Times:

"Every time I hear the news
That old feeling comes back on;
We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the Big Fool says to push on."

- Pete Seeger, 1967

[DonkeyPunch (Banned)]

Originally Posted by IraNtuary

Questions for the class:

1. If 275 soldiers were wounded in Falluja and 419 are treated for
wounds, how many were shot on the plane ride to Germany?

As everyone knows, all violence everywhere in Iraq besides Falluja stopped, so they could only have been hurt on the plane. You'll make detective any day now, Sherlock Jr.

[IAm@Work.com]

Originally Posted by IraNtuary

Monday's New York Times, page 11:

"Nowhere to be found: the remains of the insurgents that the tanks had
been sent in to destroy. ...The absence of insurgent bodies in Falluja
has remained an enduring mystery."

Originally Posted by On December 2, 2003, in [url=http://www.actuary.ca/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21038

this thread, [/url] IAm@Work.com]I have to quote it from memory, since I no longer have the letter, but...

I received a short note from a member of a club I belong to that was serving in Iraq. This was back in late March, early April. The two things I remember were his description of the country as a "sh** hole" and a comment he made about the locals. He said, "They sure do know how to police their dead. After any battle they come out and remove the bodies, almost before the fighting ends."

Assuming that characterization is in any way true, it doesn't seem unlikely that we can't get accurate body counts. Not sure why we need them either.

[Zorro]

So, waist deep or in control?

[Jack]

I'm not a big folk music fan but I've always thought that song was awsome.

It was back in nineteen forty-two,
I was a member of a good platoon.
We were on maneuvers in-a Loozianna,
One night by the light of the moon.
The captain told us to ford a river,
That's how it all begun.
We were -- knee deep in the Big Muddy,
But the big fool said to push on.


The Sergeant said, "Sir, are you sure,
This is the best way back to the base?"
"Sergeant, go on! I forded this river
'Bout a mile above this place.
It'll be a little soggy but just keep slogging.
We'll soon be on dry ground."
We were -- waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool said to push on.


The Sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment
No man will be able to swim."
"Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie,"
The Captain said to him.
"All we need is a little determination;
Men, follow me, I'll lead on."
We were -- neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool said to push on.


All at once, the moon clouded over,
We heard a gurgling cry.
A few seconds later, the captain's helmet
Was all that floated by.
The Sergeant said, "Turn around men!
I'm in charge from now on."
And we just made it out of the Big Muddy
With the captain dead and gone.


We stripped and dived and found his body
Stuck in the old quicksand.
I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper
Than the place he'd once before been.
Another stream had joined the Big Muddy
'Bout a half mile from where we'd gone.
We were lucky to escape from the Big Muddy
When the big fool said to push on.


Well, I'm not going to point any moral;
I'll leave that for yourself
Maybe you're still walking, you're still talking
You'd like to keep your health.
But every time I read the papers
That old feeling comes on;
We're -- waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.


Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.
Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.
Waist deep! Neck deep! Soon even a
Tall man'll be over his head, we're
Waist deep in the Big Muddy!
And the big fool says to push on!


Words and music by Pete Seeger (1967)
TRO (c) 1967 Melody Trails, Inc. New York, NY

[Jack]

The Evil Communist Pete Seeger served in the Army when his country needed him while the Great Patriot Dick Cheney had other prioritties when his country called.

[Snageye]

Q1. If 275 soldiers were wounded in Falluja and 419 are treated for
wounds, how many were shot on the plane ride to Germany?

A1. 144 were unreported from previous wounding incurral periods

[Lee Mellon]

Injured But Not Reported?

[Tim><]

Originally Posted by Lee Mellon

Injured But Not Reported?

That was pretty clever.