The High Score in Iraq
87,215. That’s the high score in Iraq, as recorded secretly by the Iraqi government. That’s the number of certain fatalities just since 2005 that the Iraqi government has listed, though there are thousands more who have simply gone missing. If you add a score for injuries, the tally goes much higher.
Why should these numbers remain a secret? It’s because national governments treat war like a game, a political game in which manipulation of public perception is a weapon that can be used to gain victory.
This week, U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey spoke before the House of Representatives and reminded those listening that there is a reality of war, beneath the veneer of a game, that must be remembered. She said,
“War is not a video game. Real people die or are horribly wounded and scarred, and they are scarred and wounded for life. Real families suffer. We need to remember that when we make momentous decisions about war and peace in this House, we have to consider those statistics.”
