Action Spotlight
Cut Social Security & Veterans' Benefits? Cut the Pentagon Instead!
President Obama has endorsed cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits by using the "chained CPI" to lower the cost-of-living adjustment. The Congressional Budget Office says cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits in this way would save the government $163 billion over ten years. But there are much better ways for the government to save $163 billiion. Email President Obama and Congress >
Obama vs Bush Counter Explanation
The figures used in our casualty count come from iCasualties.org. By going to this page, choosing "US" for nationality, "All Fatalities" for Fatality Type, and "Afghanistan Only" for Theatre, you will generate a month-by-month breakdown of US casualties in Afghanistan since 2001. On August 17th, 2010, the table displayed the following data:
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
| 2001 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2002 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
| 2003 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33 |
| 2004 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 49 |
| 2005 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 26 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 93 |
| 2006 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 88 |
| 2007 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 111 |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 28 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 153 |
| 2009 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 44 | 51 | 37 | 59 | 17 | 18 | 310 |
| 2010 | 30 | 31 | 24 | 19 | 34 | 60 | 65 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 278 |
Total: 1152 (as of August 17th, 2010)
We attribute deaths from the initial invasion to January 20th, 2009 -- the day President Obama was inaugurated -- to President Bush's administration. Deaths occurring from January 20th, 2009, inclusive, are attributed to President Obama's administration. Referring to the day by day breakdown of US casualties for January 2009, we get 11 deaths before January 20th, 0 on January 20th, and 3 after the 20th.
| Deaths by Time Period: Bush | |
| 2001-2008 | 564 |
| Jan 1-19 2009 | 11 |
Bush Total: 575
| Deaths by Time Period: Obama | |
| Feb 2009-2010 | 574 |
| Jan 20-31 2009 | 3 |
Obama Total: 577 (as of August 17th, 2010)
For more information, please see Robert Naiman's original blog post.