First, c2, to the monthly comparisons. That was your gambit, the March to March comparisons. If you look at the three months it's possible to do 04 to 05 comparisons, two are up and one is down. Not an argument for declining.
I gather you wish to argue that the trend is down after 1/05. I don't see it. 2/05 is down as compared to 1/05, yes, but up compared to 2/04. That's hardly declining. So we have a one month decline. At best, just to leave you with that odd February point, a two month decline. Hardly a large deal. You can go back through the monthly casualty data and see similar two month declines only to be followed by rises. Need more data.
And you chose to ignore the larger point, that, while there is no decline in US casualties, we need to look at the Iraqi casualties as well.
And, to return to the larger point, the consequences of the election are the major point that concerns us all: (a) the degree to which some degree of order is introduced; (b) the introduction of a viable government; and (c) some, however slight, signs of democracy. We simply don't know whether that's what is happening yet or not. That's the point. |
