Body Count

Why oh why can't we have a decent media.

Awhile back I posted information about how the media was distorting the July 2007 American body count in Iraq. Remember? The headlines were trumpeting improvement and that there were fewer attacks on Americans. But if you'll remember, there was no apples and apples comparisons of this July vs. other July's. Well, now you can see the results:

The spate of recent U.S. deaths — 19 so far in August [note: actually 26, but this was written earlier in the day] — seems certain to intensify the debate over U.S. progress to calm Iraq and gain ground against militants ahead of a key September report to Congress.

U.S. deaths had dropped slightly in July to 79 — the lowest monthly tally since 70 were killed in November. Before July, more than 100 American forces died each month in the April-to-June period as the U.S. military struck out at insurgents on dangerous streets and cities across Iraq.

In the earlier report there was no context, and there's none here.

Why is that important? Because the media would have you believe that Iraq improves, then deteriorates, then improves, then deteriorates. The facts suggest that year over year, it's flat deteriorating. Period. But you'd never know that if you were a casual news consumer.