The total cost of civilian casualties in Iraq

Salon has an excerpt from Chris Hedges’ new book, “Collateral Damage.” Hedges says:

The God they knew, or thought they knew, failed them. The church or the synagogue or the mosque, which promised redemption by serving God and country, did not prepare them for the awful betrayal of this civic religion, for the capacity we all have for human atrocity, because the stories of heroism used to mask the reality of war. …

Each generation responds to war as innocents. Each generation discovers its own disillusionment, often at a terrible personal price.

Hedges makes it clear that this training starts from the day the typical soldier or Marine sets foot in Iraq or Kuwait, starting with the incessant use of the word “haji.”

I know some ex-military liberal bloggers like Blue Girl will try to defend the military more than I, but this isn’t defensible. And, because it’s such an ingrained part of military culture, you can’t make the “few bad apples” claim.

And, yes, this is what the mainstream media is failing to cover in the general cutback in Iraq coverage.