Anniversary

[Brad DeLong]

>On a population scale, 3,767 Afghan civilians -- the
>number that Marc W. Herold's initial study based on
>reports between October 7, 2001 and December 6, 2001
>estimated -- is equivalent to 38,000 dead U.S.
>civilians, or roughly eleven World Trade Center
>attacks.  I'll leave it to you to calculate
>comparative proportions of the deaths in Afghanistan
>and the United States based on Doug's more current
>figure of 5,000.  The disproportion, granted, is not
>likely to give you a pause in the warpath.

And for a country of 1000, the deaths of 100 are "equivalent" to the 
deaths of 130 million people in China.

It seems to me that the use of "equivalent" in this context is 
breathtakingly stupid and mendacious.

Brad DeLong