War is hell

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A higher percentage of our wounded soldiers in Iraq are surviving their injuries compared with other wars, thanks to the miracles of modern science. But the injuries are more gruesome, thanks to the miracles of modern weaponry. It’s hard to think about the quality of these maimed soldiers’ lives without feeling sick. More photos here.

Via Kos.

The Discussion: 7 Comments

Having read your blog for awhile I am aware of your revulsion of this war and rightly so. But on a personal note: Is there any war/intervention that the US was/is involved in that you felt was justified and if so, why?

December 15, 2004 @ 5:36 pm | Comment

I was in favor of our participation in the first war against Iraq, the Revolutionary War, World War II and probably World War I, the war in Kosovo…. War is necessary sometimes.

As for why, in each case there was no doubt we were fighting for a greater good supported by our allies and with a defined goal. In each case we went in with enought troops, both American and otherwise; we did as we planned and we didn’t deceive people. Vietnam was the first war I was actively against, because it so obviously didn;t conform to those criteria. I was originally supportive of Bush and the invasion of iraq (if you go back far enough in this blog you’ll see). It was after I realized we were totally deceived, on a scale unprecedented in the history of our country, that I changed my position. As more and more lies and incompetencies were revealed, the more militant I became in my objections. I consider my months of support for this war to be the most naive and stupid period of my life.

December 15, 2004 @ 6:15 pm | Comment

I don’t quite understand why you think that injuries in war today are any more gruesome than injuries in wars of the past? Strikes me that getting wacked with a club, having an arm tacken off by a cannon ball (or cut of by the primative surgeons) or hit in the face by a piece of WWI shrapnel were all just as capable of producing gruesome wounds?

December 15, 2004 @ 9:45 pm | Comment

Plus that photo is as fake as a $3 bill

December 16, 2004 @ 12:09 am | Comment

The photo is from the New England Journal of Medicine.

War is always gruesome. But many of the gruesome wounds from the earlier wars resulted in the soldiers’ deaths. More soldiers in this war are going to be maimed far worse than in earlier wars because they will live, if you can call it living in some of the instances. That’s because of our amazing medical technology. It’s great, and it’s terrible.

December 16, 2004 @ 7:02 am | Comment

Thanks for linking to my site. I would appreciate more advertisement in the future. 🙂

actually, i wanted to say that I thnk the dude with the american flag head wrap was featured in the New York Times. He’s a young medic, who once had his life saved, I think, by a soldier who took schrapnel for him during an attack. Can’t remember exactly, but he looks familiar, with the head wrap and same eyes.

cheers!

December 18, 2004 @ 12:09 am | Comment

Sadder still, a fairly large number of innocent Iraqis are also ending up like this, and I suspect they do not get nearly the same quality of medical care. It makes you sick. It makes you angry. But it also makes me hope more than ever that we have the guts to finish what we started and exterminate the scum that do this. Cleaning up the mess will be President Clinton’s job after 2008.

December 21, 2004 @ 12:39 am | Comment

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