Mercury Rising....
In the debate over Iraq, this is probably an afterthought to most. But has anyone checked the weather in Baghdad recently? Here's the link. Take a look at those daily high temperatures. Ever been to Las Vegas in the summer? It's inhabitable only because of air conditioning. Baghdad's hotter than that, and very few Iraqis have air conditioning. And when they're suited up and on patrol, our troops don't either.
This may seem insignificant to some, and obvious to others. But I think very few here in the U.S. can understand how unbearable life is for millions of people in Baghdad, and the profound effect that situation has on our efforts to promote stability. I wonder how most of us would do in a cinderblock apartment building in Vegas in August, unemployed, no air conditioning and little electricity, in the middle of a civil war.
This may seem insignificant to some, and obvious to others. But I think very few here in the U.S. can understand how unbearable life is for millions of people in Baghdad, and the profound effect that situation has on our efforts to promote stability. I wonder how most of us would do in a cinderblock apartment building in Vegas in August, unemployed, no air conditioning and little electricity, in the middle of a civil war.
posted by The Cunning Realist at Saturday, July 28, 2007
10 Comments:
With approximately 1 hour of electricity per day, you can magnify the hell a hundred fold.
judyo
Hey, it's sure a lot better than suffering under Saddam! Right? Right?
C.R., Have you followed Riverbend's Baghdad Burning blog? Read her last post about her decision to flee Iraq - link provided.
"I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were uncouth and backward. Our lives revolve around it now. Our existence depends on hiding it or highlighting it- depending on the group of masked men who stop you or raid your home in the middle of the night."
Right wing, compassionate conservative response:
"But it's a dry heat."
Further right wing, compassionate conservative response:
"They should be glad they're alive, let alone be able to complain about the heat!
Damn ungrateful whiners!"
I just got back from Las Vegas. We took a day trip to Hoover Dam. 121 degrees in the shade. When a breeze blows, you feel like you are in a convection oven.
Hotter than that, dressed in battle fatigues and body armor? I can't imagine.
The Pentagon released a report a few years back which suggested (not proved, but suggested) that Global Warming could spark wars due to factors like competition for liveable land and resources, or refugee migrations. So... a good portion of our troubles in Iraq comes from citizen discontent over the fact that the U.S. hasn't been able to rebuild and/or secure the infrastructure which made Baghdad habitable during the summer heat. Perhaps that Pentagon report is coming true much faster than people predicted.
Pretty helpful data, thank you for the article.
Really effective data, thanks so much for this article.
Thanks so much for your post, really effective data.
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