When I read the story of Col. Lars Møller — the Danish tank commander in Bosnia who was willing to break the rules and actually shoot back at the enemy — it made me I realize that the Danes are the kind of guys you want covering your back when you’re in a tight spot.Since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Danish troops have been assisting the United States and its allies with military operations in those countries. There isn’t a whole lot of coverage in the media about it, but the Danes are right there in the thick of it with the USA and the UK — not just handing out candy and painting schools like some of our NATO partners, but actually fighting and winning battles.
And also taking casualties. For such a small country, Denmark has had to bear a heavy burden of wounded and killed.
But that’s not stopping the Danes, and they aren’t going to pull out of Afghanistan. According to The Copenhagen Post:
Minister: We stay in Afghanistan
Despite the death of another Danish soldier the Defence Minister was adamant that Denmark will remain in Afghanistan indefinitely
Another Danish soldier was killed Monday during an intense battle with Taleban forces in the unstable Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, reports Politiken newspaper.
The death brings the total number of Danes killed in Afghanistan since 2002 to 14, but ten of those have occurred in the last six months. Denmark now has the highest percentage of soldiers that have lost their lives in Afghanistan when considering a country’s population.
Søren Gade, the defence minister, said that while he was deeply sorry for the losses, it was necessary for Denmark to remain in Afghanistan and help the civilian population overcome the effects of Taleban rule.
‘Even one death is too many, but we’re not running away,’ he said. ‘Our mission is not in jeopardy.’
The Social Democrats, Danish People’s Party and Conservatives are concerned that Denmark is pulling more than its share of the weight in the Asian country and want other Nato member states to increase their dispatch of troops to the area.
Estimating that the population of the United States is sixty times that of Denmark, fourteen deaths for the Danes would be roughly the same as 840 for us. It’s not an insignificant number.
I wanted to post a breakdown by country of casualties in Afghanistan, but I couldn’t find one. I did, however, locate a table of casualties in Iraq broken out by country. It was from a site called “iCasualties”, and I’m not going to link it, because Google has it flagged as a malware-containing site (I was forced to use a stratagem to get the data table out of it — I downloaded the page without opening it, stripped all the scripts out of the source HTML, and then opened it locally in order to copy the table).
This is a list of the number killed for each country with more than one combat death in Iraq (there were five countries with just one, but I left them out to make the table and graphs simpler):
- - - - - - - - -
| Country | Total | Prop. | ||
| USA | 4,007 | 4,007 | ||
| UK | 176 | 861 | ||
| Italy | 33 | 168 | ||
| Poland | 23 | 176 | ||
| Ukraine | 18 | 112 | ||
| Bulgaria | 13 | 516 | ||
| Spain | 11 | 81 | ||
| Denmark | 7 | 381 | ||
| El Salvador | 5 | 221 | ||
| Slovakia | 4 | 218 | ||
| Latvia | 3 | 387 | ||
| Romania | 3 | 40 | ||
| Australia | 2 | 29 | ||
| Estonia | 2 | 444 | ||
| Netherlands | 2 | 36 | ||
| Thailand | 2 | 9 |
The right-hand column weights the numbers for each country — that is, what the casualty rate would be if the country in question had the same population as the USA.
Here’s a graph of the actual number killed for each country:
And this shows the weighted figures:
Notice that after the USA and the UK, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Denmark have the highest casualty rates. That is, the former communists and the Vikings are the countries outside the Anglosphere who bear the heaviest burdens. Not France, not Germany, not Italy, nor any other part of “Old Europe”.
Except for Denmark.
It reminded me of the breakdown by country of Gates of Vienna’s Alexa traffic rankings that I posted about this time last year. As you may recall, proportionally speaking, Denmark supplied the largest amount of traffic at our blog.
Could there be a connection between the behavior of the stalwart Danish soldiers and the browsing habits of our stalwart Danish readers?
An investigation of last night’s Alexa traffic report revealed some interesting results:
| Country | Pct. | Prop. | ||
| USA | 22.0% | 1.0% | ||
| Denmark | 20.3% | 53.0% | ||
| UK | 16.8% | 4.0% | ||
| Romania | 7.2% | 5.0% | ||
| Canada | 4.8% | 2.0% | ||
| Australia | 2.4% | 2.0% | ||
| Finland | 2.4% | 7.0% | ||
| Slovakia | 1.7% | 4.0% | ||
| France | 1.4% | .0% | ||
| India | 1.4% | .0% | ||
| Netherlands | 1.4% | 1.0% | ||
| Thailand | 1.4% | .0% | ||
| Austria | 1.0% | 2.0% | ||
| Germany | 1.0% | .0% | ||
| Greece | 1.0% | 1.0% | ||
| Israel | 1.0% | 2.0% | ||
| Norway | 1.0% | 3.0% | ||
| Pakistan | 1.0% | .0% | ||
| Spain | 1.0% | .0% | ||
| United Arab Emirates | 1.0% | 6.0% | ||
| Belgium | .7% | 1.0% | ||
| Indonesia | .7% | .0% | ||
| Malaysia | .7% | .0% | ||
| Poland | .7% | .0% | ||
| Czech Republic | .3% | .0% |
Notice how the lack of Obama coverage has reduced our American traffic. And notice that our Danish visitors make up an absolute 20.3% of our readership.
Here’s the graph:
But now look at the weighted percentages:
Proportionally speaking, the Danes account for more than half of our traffic.
And our fellow countrymen contribute a mere 1%. If we know what’s good for us, we’d better start boning up on Obama and Hillary.
But seriously — what’s going on here? It can’t be just because we’re such big Danophiles at Gates of Vienna, and display pictures of Holger Danske, and write puff pieces about Dronning Margrethe.
There must be more to it than that.
To have so many Danish readers we must be on the same wavelength as the Vikings. For some peculiar reason, we seem to think like Danes.
Is there a cure for that?
Hat tip: TB.
29 comments:
I think it's something they add to the beer.
And Lord knows, they're far more interesting than Hillary's tall tales about being under gunfire in Bosnia, or Obama's identity crises as he contemplates his navel and his wife gnashes her teeth at the reality of being an American.
This is the worst primary season I can remember. The Danes are far more entertaining -- not to mention far more real.
To have so many Danish readers we must be on the same wavelength as the Vikings. For some peculiar reason, we seem to think like Danes.
Being de facto a Denmark fan-boy (-girl) site may have something to do with it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Man, I didn't realize Latvia had managed to pull fifth in the relative casualty stakes. Depressing, but still, except for the grace of the gods it would have been higher yet. There were an enormous number of survived_only_by_divine_ intervention type close calls in Iraq.
Those are some of the weirdest traffic stats I've ever seen... Sure, there's a nice Danish in-crowd here, but to that level?
Certainly it shows the potential for growth that GoV has in other countries.
Man, I didn't realize Latvia had managed to pull fifth in the relative casualty stakes.
That's something that earns very solid respect in NATO. I visited their headquarters last fall (interesting, also for what is only shown in pictures), and they made it very clear that those countries willing to go into the fire are taken much more seriously in other matters, negotiations etc.
I hope the mission will be over soon, though. It's getting long.
As for Obama, I stopped even reading the headlines :)
Nobody killed _any_ Mongolians?
Whoa. I guess the Middle East still remembers the last time.
Can't vouch for the accuracy but Wikipedia has a breakdown for coalition casualties in Afghanistan.
The 0.3% Czech visits must be from me, and I'm Danish living in Prague :D
Anyway, the islam problem is a huge issue in Denmark, our absolute largest issue, thus very many are using the Internet to find more information that what the MSM are supplying.
Score another point for Danish MSM:
Berlingske Tidende, one of the three large Danish dailies, runs at the top of its main page a plug for the blog of Michael Jalvig, with the title Europa er under belejring, literally "Europe is under siege", equivalent to the mission statement of GoV.
I used to take the Baron's Denmark-fascination with a grain of salt, or two. But it does seem we Danes are living in an alternative universe as concerns 'getting' Jihad.
I think it's something they add to the beer.
It's not what they put in the beer, it's the beer they put in themselves. In fact, all of us would be drinking a lot less beer of much lower quality if it weren't for the Danes.
Working in the Carlsberg laboratories, Emil Hansen noted that traditional brewer's yeast consisted of several different strains.
Until that time, beer was extremely sensitive to temperature and and brewing was typically a winter time occupation. Summer's heat tended to sour batches due to the blooming of undesirable yeast strains.
Hansen succeeded in isolating the most desirable and stable of the common varieties and thus was born saccharomyces carlsbergensis which has made almost all modern year round brewing possible. All beer aficionados owe a great debt to tiny Denmark.
Denmark is pulling more than its share of the weight in the Asian country
This has often been the case in dark times. Adversity seems to bring out the best in the Danes. When you examine Denmark's track record of innovation and quality with respect to its small land mass and population there emerges an unmistakable pattern of excellence.
@Zenster --
When you examine Denmark's track record of innovation and quality with respect to its small land mass and population there emerges an unmistakable pattern of excellence.
Rather like Israel, but without the murderous neighbors...the Danes have an excellent track record in the sciences.
I'm sending your info about the yeast to the future Baron, a budding chemist in oenology, but an avid beer fan, also. This is actually an improvement in his trajectory since his original idea for going into chemistry was to learn how to blow things up.
"An investigation of last night’s Alexa traffic report revealed some interesting results:"
...not one tenth of a percent from Sweden - my promotion work must be done totally in wain!
At least I thought that besides me there would be Lundgren, Jihad in Malmö, Fröken Sverige, Vilks, carpenter, Nils Dacke, conservative swede, Vinterbadaren, Humle & Dumle and a few other regulars - say at least 30 - 55 people!
Swedes that always boast that they speek (and write and understand) English so damn good.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the - Web Reconnaissance for 04/02/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
Related, a good friend seems to be beating a not-so-good friend for traffic:
JihadWatch beats LGF.
Alexa's numbers ain't gospel, but JW obvious is on a steep climb. I have no idea why,
As for me, the first ting I do in the morning is to check out The Gates. Because of the time difference you guys will have done most of your posting while I was asleep.
I'm sure I'm responsible for quite a few of those clicks coming from Denmark.
And yes, the Danes are in the front line in the Helmand province and reclaiming the Gereshk Valley, slowly but surely, despite a hellish terrain. Two of the casualties was due to a friendly fire incident by the Brits BTW.
If you don't mind me saying so, I'm damn proud of our boys. We don't do any official body count, but the Taliban are suffering a lot more than we do.
@ Dymphna:
This is actually an improvement in his trajectory since his original idea for going into chemistry was to learn how to blow things up.
Well, that might come in handy one day. But for now, let him research the beer. :-)
I prefer English beer to that brewed in Denmark - but maybe there's a bit of Viking in me. I hope so. certainly I'm a regular here.
Mikael - sorry to hear about the two 'friendly-fire' casualties - I haven't seen mention of it in the British media.
Forgot about Canada, eh!!!
Carol, the analysis is of casualties in Iraq. There are no Canadian troops there.
Here are the Afghanistan figures. http://www.icasualties.org/oef/
The recent Danish deaths result in Denmark overtaking Canada on a casualty per population basis. Denmark has 5.5 million compared to Canada's 34 million.
Baron:
Your collection of graphs brings back memories of asymptotes, first derivatives equated to zero, and the interpretation of 2nd derivatives.
Very interesting. I'd say you are correct that there is *something* noteworthy about these Danes. Good for Col. Moller. Now there's a guy you can respect for his horse sense, commitment to principal and personal integrity. Good man, plus the cigar. Now there's a guy you can hold a conversation with.
So, what is the significance of all this? Why is Denmark the tough little guy in the north? Maybe it's the cold weather. Perhaps it's the icy wind from the Baltic or the North Sea. Looking at the map you can see Denmark has numerous significant islands. Maybe those islands have been a refuge for Danish culture, or a focus of past conflict... I don't know. But I'm interested in learning more.
I'll say this: the guts have fallen out of much of Europe. But strength remains in Denmark.
I'm interested in exploring and learning more about Denmark. I look forward doing so in the coming year.
Hwæt! Wé Gárdena in géardagum
þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon·
hú ðá æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scéfing sceaþena þréatum
monegum maégþum meodosetla oftéah·
5
egsode Eorle syððan aérest wearð
féasceaft funden hé þæs frófre gebád·
wéox under wolcnum· weorðmyndum þáh
oð þæt him aéghwylc þára ymbsittendra
ofer hronráde hýran scolde,
10
gomban gyldan· þæt wæs gód cyning.
What more can I say?
:-)
thll - sorry to hear about the two 'friendly-fire' casualties - I haven't seen mention of it in the British media.
Don't worry about it. No one is blaming anyone. Sh*it happens in the fog of war. People here know that.
The MSM did try to stir up some kind of fury, but nobody took the bait and the matter went away.
Paul: So, what is the significance of all this? Why is Denmark the tough little guy in the north? Maybe it's the cold weather. Perhaps it's the icy wind from the Baltic or the North Sea. Looking at the map you can see Denmark has numerous significant islands. Maybe those islands have been a refuge for Danish culture, or a focus of past conflict... I don't know. But I'm interested in learning more.
Denmark's capital, Copenhagen has always been a nexus of trade, culture and northern European science. The name "Copenhagen" is an Anglicized condensation derived from the proper Danish place name København (købe man's haven), which translates to "merchant man's harbor".
The Viking legacy of maritime exploration remained unequaled in scope throughout the entire pre-Columbian era. Extending to North America, the Mediterranean and West African coast, it even involved forays eastward into Russia and may have included a portage of boats all the way to the Black Sea. DNA mapping has shown that redheaded Russians derive their hair coloring from Scandinavian genes.
Pictures of elephants and lions decorate Viking funerary stele, Saudi Arabian gold coins have been unearthed at Scandinavian burial sites and the famous Nordic Dragon Churches (or Stave Churches) have an almost Asiatic cast to their pagoda-like structures.
Danish exploration was not limited to mere geography. Famed astronomer Tycho Brahe developed numerous innovative instruments and recorded star-tables whose unprecedented accuracy stood unsurpassed for almost two centuries. His 1572 observation of a supernova in Cassiopeia challenged existing doctrine that all celestial bodies outside the moon’s orbit were made of an unchanging fifth element. Finally, his precise measurements of the moon and Mars’ orbits laid the groundwork and provided the basis for Johannes Kepler’s laws of planetary motion and final proof of the heliocentric solar system.
These astronomical observations of outer space played a crucial role in guiding Europe’s overseas colonial expansion. Safe shipping navigation relied upon accurate celestial records. This emphasis upon scientific knowledge continued into modern times with the exploration of inner-space. Nobel laureate Niels Bohr provided fundamental insights into atomic structure, worked alongside Einstein to unravel the mysteries of quantum mechanics and assisted with America’s Manhattan Project. For such a tiny country, the list of Danish Nobelists is quite impressive:
1. Niels Ryberg Finsen, Physiology or Medicine, 1903
2. Fredrik Bajer, Peace, 1908
3. Henrik Pontoppidan, Literature, 1917
4. Karl Gjellerup, Literature, 1917
5. Schack August Steenberg Krogh, Physiology or Medicine, 1920
6. Niels Henrik David Bohr, Physics, 1922
7. Johannes Fibiger, Physiology or Medicine, 1926
8. Henrik Dam, Physiology or Medicine, 1943
9. Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, Literature, 1944
10. Aage Bohr, Physics, 1975
11. Ben Mottelson, Physics, 1975
12. Niels K. Jerne, Physiology or Medicine, 1984
13. Jens Christian Skou, Chemistry, 1997
Note how the majority of awards are for scientific achievement. It is only slightly ironic that the Danes have received half-again as many Nobel Prizes than the entire MME (Muslim Middle East) combined. Once again, diminutive Denmark humiliates Islam without even trying.
It is no coincidence that Denmark shines forth out of Europe’s current descent into benighted subjugation. The Danes have a long history of free thought and rebellion against tyranny. May it continue to set an example for much of our world as we seek to overcome the menace of Islam. Long Live Denmark!
Baron,
Icasualties also has a national breakdown for the casualties in Afghanistan (http://www.icasualties.org/oef/):
Country Total
Australia 4
Canada 81
Czech 2
Denmark 14
Estonia 2
Finland 1
France 12
Germany 25
Italy 12
Netherlands 14
Norway 3
Poland 3
Portugal 2
Romania 6
South Korea 1
Spain 23
Sweden 2
UK 91
US 491
Total 789
Zenster: Awesome post on Denmark. Forget the UK or Scotland. I want to explore Denmark and all the interesting little out-of-the-way places in Zealand and Jutland. Plus those interesting islands.
Back around Christmas one of the Danish readers posted scenes from his church: an 11th Century church built on older pagan ceremonial grounds. I want to find all those very significant places and breath in the free air coming in off the water.
Thank you for the post.
P.
Paul: Thank you for the post.
You are most welcome. If you've been inspired to visit my ancestral homeland, then I am more than rewarded. Be advised that Denmark is one of the more expensive European destinations. Especially so with the current exchange rates.
That said, be prepared for scenes of almost terminal quaintness. During an excursion outside of Kolding we stopped by the edge of a placid tree-lined lake whose gravel shores were composed of amber colored agate-like chert. Behind us stood a picture perfect whitewashed and thatched roof cottage while regal swans placidly swam past where we stood on the beach.
The Danes themselves have a well-deserved reputation for their refreshingly candid manner. Once admitted into a home, you will be treated as family, if not royalty. Danish beer is world class and their pastries simply defy description. Do not miss sampling kringle, whose pretzel shape heralds Danish bakeries throughout the land. A trough of delicate flaky pastry dough is filled with rich marzipan tinctured cream cheese and dusted with toasted almond slices and sanding sugar. Likewise, do not miss bolle. These inimitable Danish bread rolls are almost unique to the country as they only have a four-hour shelf life to their superb crust.
A word to the wise, be prepared for coffee that is brewed strong enough to strip paint ... from battleships. Fortunately, Danish cream and milk are more than up to the task of grappling with this witch's brew. One traditional recipe for Danish kaffe involves placing a 10 öre coin (like a dime), at the bottom of your coffee cup. First, you pour in well-brewed coffee until you can no longer see the 10 öre piece. Then you pour in aquavit (Danish firewater) until you can see the coin.
Anyone who wonders why Vikings burned their ships when landing on foreign shores need look no further for an explanation.
Anyway, I hope this helps you decide about visiting Denmark. As a confirmed licorice addict, I have no choice but that is beside the point. I promise one thing: You will never regret visiting Denmark. You have my word upon it.
Sodbuster:
"Hwæt! Wé Gárdena in géardagum
þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon·
hú ðá æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scéfing sceaþena þréatum
monegum maégþum meodosetla oftéah·
5
egsode Eorle syððan aérest wearð
féasceaft funden hé þæs frófre gebád·
wéox under wolcnum· weorðmyndum þáh
oð þæt him aéghwylc þára ymbsittendra
ofer hronráde hýran scolde,
10
gomban gyldan· þæt wæs gód cyning.
"
I'm working on a translation. Hang on....
Hell yes Denmark!! I have no cultural relation to the Danes at all, but I am now a big fan of this tough little country!! THANK YOU DENMARK!!
"sorry to hear about the two 'friendly-fire' casualties - I haven't seen mention of it in the British media."
but the BBC ran a story regarding Matty Hull being killed by the Americans 26 times. I'm not exaggerating that number it was 26 times.
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