Determining who the asshole is, and visualizing impersonal statistics

[pmb]

In any given situation, the person who is claiming that something is the end of the world is almost certainly an asshole. This is a handy rule of thumb, and applies pretty well across the board, with the possible exception of people talking about global thermonuclear war or other extinction-level threats (large asteroids, etc).

Also, the recent news that nobody seems to be talking about is that according to every peer-reviewed independent study, we have now killed more than 1,000,000 people in Iraq, either directly or indirectly, since 2003 as a result of this war. That is a lot of people - one six-thousandth of the world population, and 4% of the population of Iraq. Visualizing this from an Iraqi point of view resulted in this map. But honestly, this sort of number is way past "visualization" territory. Our government has, in the past 6 years, spent more than $500,000,000,000 on a stupid war, and this war has caused more than 1,000,000 people to die.

One million people. Dead. For what?

Comments

[bettsbaby.livejournal.com]

So what shall we do about it?

I write to my representatives weekly. We use as little oil as we can (both directly and indirectly). We read and educate ourselves on as much as we can about what is really happening. I send messages to friends reminding them to do so. I make art to raise awareness. I even made a bunch of Tshirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/peacepossible

And so on...

We can't change the numbers of what has happened, but can of what is to come.

So what shall we do? I'm ready.

[pmb.livejournal.com]

So what shall we do?

I, for one, am whining on the internet! Oh. Wait. Crap.

More seriously, I've got nothing here. My point of view of "leave now and feel bad about it" is a tough sell. It's like running on a campaign of "take your damn medicine". I can only think of one viable presidential candidate who says that - Obama - although several people who won't get their party's nomination hold that belief - Gravel, Kucinich, Paul.

More worryingly, I don't have a good understanding of how to affect the leaving timeline. It seems like everyone already has their minds made up. My senators both claim to support "eventually" leaving, but vote for staying, and my congressman votes for leaving to no effect. My president, of course, insists that we should stay the course.

[djsendai.livejournal.com]