Iraq

Some say that reporting 'the good' that takes place in Iraq is to spread propaganda for the Bush Administration. They say that it risks losing sight of the cost of the war.

But cost is one of those words that doesn't make sense on its own. Cost is the amount of effort or sacrifice expended to achieve a goal. It doesn't make much sense to talk about the cost of something without mentioning what you're getting in return.

So to appreciate fully the situation in Iraq, to make informed opinions and decisions, you need more than bodycounts and setbacks. You also need to know about the benefits, the advances that are being made - the good.

You need more than just the bill, you need to know what the bill is for.

And if you're gonna get that, you need to stop getting your info from the evening news.

Here's a simple test: what's been happening in Iraq over the past, say, 3 months? How about 6 months? If you can't think of anything other than bodycounts or the forming of the constitution, something's wrong here. You need to expand your information in-take, and here's a good place to start.

Update via Dean's World: and if you read the New York Times, you really need to read this.