Sad Anniversary

Today is the fourth anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq. And the sacrifices continue:

* Over 3,000 US troops have died and another 24,000 have been wounded

* $505 billion of US taxpayers' money. President Bush is expected to request another $100 billion in war-spending for 2007 and $140 billion for 2008. The cumulative total? Over $700 billion.

* Iraqi casualties are reported somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000. Although some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian causalities at over 600,000.


* Iraqis who "strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops" - 82%

* More than six in 10 Iraqis now say that their lives are going badly -- double the percentage who said so in late 2005.

I'm reading an incredible book right now--Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace. The author argues that looking at the practice of mothering (which is not limited only to women) and the tactics of feminist resistance movements may give way to new ways of resolving disputes. I highly recommend it!