Yet another study debunking the idea that the “surge” was the main cause of the reduction in violence in Iraq. The reason, in a nutshell, is that the “ethnic cleansing” (that’s euphemism for genocide) has done it’s work, and there’s not that many people left to kill.
Unfortunately, this explanation for the decreased violence, as obvious as it is, is far too complicated for our national discourse. It requires thinking, which makes our heads hurt. It’s so much easier to assign a handy cause to a perceived effect, particularly if it reinforces the official line. The study’s authors make the point in a slightly more high toned fashion:
Geographers and social scientists find it increasingly difficult to intervene in debates
about vital matters of public interest, such as the Iraq war, because of the ideological polarization and lack of respect for empirical analysis that have afflicted US politics in recent years. (Emphasis added)
Ain’t it the truth.
Post a Comment