Meanwhile, back in reality…
And in other news…
Apparent contradictions are relatively easy to find in the flood of bar charts and trend lines the military produces. Civilian casualty numbers in the Pentagon’s latest quarterly report on Iraq last week, for example, differ significantly from those presented by the top commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, in his recent congressional testimony. Petraeus’s chart was limited to numbers of dead, while the Pentagon combined the numbers of dead and wounded—a figure that should be greater. Yet Petraeus’s numbers were higher than the Pentagon’s for the months preceding this year’s increase of U.S. troops to Iraq, and lower since U.S. operations escalated this summer.
The charts are difficult to compare: Petraeus used monthly figures on a line graph, while the Pentagon computed “Average Daily Casualties” on a bar chart, and neither included actual numbers. But the numerical differences are still stark, and the reasons offered can be hard to parse. The Pentagon, in a written clarification, said that “Gen. Petraeus reported civilian deaths based on incidents reported by Coalition forces plus Iraqi government data. The [Pentagon] report only includes incidents reported by Coalition forces for civilian causality data.”
Read that last carefully. Petraeus supposedly uses multiple data sources that report more incidents than included in the Pentagon report, yet he still conveeeeeeniently comes up with fewer casualties during the surge.
Yet the wingnuts got their knickers in a twist because MoveOn.org dared to question Petraeus’ veracity.
It is to laugh.
(hat tips: Atrios and ThinkProgress)
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September 26, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Raven
I think you’re wrong, as usual.
September 26, 2007 at 9:47 pm
meatbrain
That’s easy to say, Raven. But can you explain what, exactly, I am wrong about regarding Petraeus’ numbers vs. those from the Pentagon, and why, exactly, I am wrong?
September 26, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Raven
They weren’t from the Pentagon you idiot. Did you not check the FACTS?
No you didn’t. The charts were from Iraqcasualty.com- a site you leftards like to use a lot.
YOUR chart is inaccurate. You’re wrong. Are you going to disintegrate now? Please?
September 26, 2007 at 10:13 pm
meatbrain
I have no idea which “charts” you mean. I posted only one chart above. Are you claiming that it originated at Iraqcasualty.com?
September 27, 2007 at 1:33 am
kender
Maybe that is a chart that compares teh relative merits of blueberry muffins to bran muffins….
SO where’d your chart come from meaty?
September 27, 2007 at 6:37 am
meatbrain
shitmonkey demonstrates once again its inability to process data that is right in front of its face. The source of the chart is the US Department of Defense, and I provided a link in the sentence just above the chart.
I still do not know what “charts” Raven is referring to. I would appreciate it if she would clarify her claims. She says:
Which specific “charts” is Raven referring to?
In what way is the chart I posted above inaccurate?
September 29, 2007 at 5:56 am
meatbrain
Notice how quiet Raven got when she was directly challenged to explain herself?
It’s not the first time Raven has run away from a debate.
September 29, 2007 at 11:20 pm
kender
September 30, 2007 at 7:45 am
meatbrain
Actually, Raven is afraid of rational debate. That’s why she posts vague, unspecific accusations that I am “wrong”, and then abandons the discussion.
October 2, 2007 at 6:08 pm
kender
You are such a dumbass
October 2, 2007 at 6:14 pm
meatbrain
Yet it is Raven and her ilk that run from debate.
October 4, 2007 at 9:44 pm
kender
October 4, 2007 at 9:52 pm
meatbrain
Observe that Raven still hasn’t mustered the courage to answer the questions I asked her above:
Which specific “charts” is Raven referring to?
In what way is the chart I posted above inaccurate?
October 6, 2007 at 1:44 am
kender