Evolve Now

Do Facts Matter?

I spend much of my work life talking about messaging and "talking to people where they are" and "framing the issues." Part of that means accepting that once a person chooses a side they tend ignore or disbelieve facts that don't support their position--the consultant speak for this is "facts don't fit the frame." After many years of advocating for policy change, I tend to believe this. The more someone has hardened their opinion on a subject or feels they have picked a side, the more difficult it is to persuade them to change their mind with more facts.

Despite all of that, I think the following facts should give everyone pause, regardless of what side of the Iraq war debate you're on:

Iraq

Approximate number of U.S. troops currently in Iraq: 139,000

Percent of coalition forces contributed by the U.S.: 85.7

Weeks since the Pentagon announced a plan to draw

down U.S. forces to roughly 100,000: 83

Approximate amount appropriated by

Congress for Iraq operations so far: $218 billion

Approximate amount spent in Iraq

by the U.S. last week: $1.03 billion

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) found: 0

Number of U.S. service members killed in Iraq: 1,697

Number killed since the President

announced the end of major combat: 1,558

Number wounded: 12,861

Number of Iraqi military and police killed

since training began (June 2003): 2,231

Estimated number of insurgents in Iraq (November 2003): 5,000

Estimated number of insurgents in Iraq (May 2005): 16,000

Estimated number of 107 Iraqi military and special police

battalions that are capable of operating independently: 3

This is from the Weekly National Security Index from the Democratic Policy Committee of the Senate. You can find the complete document with footnotes and more on US military personnel and recruiting issues, the war on terrorism, North Korea and homeland security here.

posted by Rissa Roo @ 12:46 PM