U.S. military deaths, as of yesterday: 2,291 (thanks to U.S. Fatalities for this information.)
Civilian death toll: somewhere between 28,535 and 32,153 (thanks to Iraq Body Count for this information.
So, not to put too fine a point on it, even if we're only concerned about U.S. citizens (and why would that be true???), the score stands thus:
Osama bin Laden: 2,738 (includes just the U.S. citizens from the 9/11/01 death toll)
George W. Bush: 2,291
That's a fairly inflammatory way to frame the conversation, I admit. But honestly, almost 2300 people are dead because..... WHY are they dead, again? Yes, I'm being a little histrionic, but on some level we have to tell truth to power, and these are the numbers.
There are glimmers of hope here and there, however. Last weekend, the United States Conference for the World Council of Churches formally apologized to the world for the war in Iraq.
Our leaders turned a deaf ear to the voices of church leaders throughout our nation and the world, entering into imperial projects that seek to dominate and control for the sake of our own national interests. Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agenda that are nothing short of idolatrous.
The full text of the prayer/letter can be found here: World Council of Churches.
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