I hate these political threads, mostly because armchair generals and armchair presidents believe that, in their omniscience, they are fully aware of all that the President shoulders as his personal burden both simply as President and as a President of a nation at war.
Our country has been a bastion of freedom and personal liberty for hundreds of years. Our Government has been only as good and correct as the flawed and all too human people elected to run it. When our country was small and new the Federal Government answered to the people directly; it could, because there weren't that many people to have to address. As our country grew, both from those who were here at the foundation of it as well as those who flocked to our banner from oppressed countries around the world, the distance between our elected leaders and the populace grew into a vast gulf, requiring additional elected leaders to bridge the gap.
War is not a pretty thing. People die, are maimed, and go insane. Killing another human being is the very highest of abberations to the human mentality, and is codified as the first prohibition from the mouth of God, Himself. Sometimes, however, in order to defend the greater good, or the nation as a whole, it becomes a "kill or be killed" decision; do you lay down and die quietly, or do you refuse to be slaughtered by the enemy? The unfortunate consequence is that some of our own are going to die anyway, whether they lay down or resist. It is a fact of war that casualties are produced on
both sides, and it could easily be said that war is a contest of will moreso than anything else... Who's will is stronger, which side is willing to bear the cost before one side concedes defeat?
This is going to be long, but please stick with me... Some cold, hard, factual statistics from the
U.S. Civil War Center:
In the
Revolutionary War we had approximately 3.5 million citizens; there were approximately 200,000 people in the military, amounting to only 5.7% of the population under arms; 4,435 soldiers were killed in action, 6,188 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 10,623 war casualties over a period of 80 months.
In the
War of 1812 we had approximately 7.6 million citizens; there were approximately 286,000 people in the military, amounting to only 3.8% of the population under arms; 2,260 soldiers were killed in action, 4,505 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 6,765 war casualties over a period of 30 months.
In the
Mexican War we had approximately 21.1 million citizens; there were approximately 78,700 people in the military, amounting ton only 0.4% of the population under arms; 1,733 soldiers were killed in action, 11,550 died from other causes, and 4,152 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 17,435 war casualties over a period of 20 months.
In the
Civil War, the Union had approximately 26.2 million citizens; there were approximately 2,803,300 people in the military, amounting to 10.7% of the population under arms; 110,070 soldiers were killed in action, 249,458 died from other causes, and 275,175 were wounded by not killed, for a total of 634,703 Union war casualties over a period of 48 months.
In the
Civil War, the Confderacy had approximately 8.1 million citizens; there were approximately 1,064,200 people in the military, amounting to 13.1% of the population under arms; 74,524 were killed in action, 124,000 died from other causes, and more than 137,000 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 335,524 Confederate war casualties over a period of 48 months.
To summarize, in the
Civil War, when we were
killing ourselves, the United States had approximately 34.3 million citizens; there were approxiimately 3,867,500 people in the military, amounting to 11.1% of the total population under arms; 184,594 were killed in action, 373,458 died from other causes, and more than 412,175 were wounded but not killed, for a grand total of war casualties caused by fellow countrymen of 970,227 over a period of 48 months (amounting to 3,846 war deaths
per month).
In the
Spanish-American War, we had approximately 74.6 million citizens, with approximately 306,800 people in the military, amounting to 0.4% of the population under arms; 385 were killed in action, 2,061 died from other causes, 1,662 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 4,108 war casualties over a period of 4 months.
In
World War I, we had approximately 102.8 million citizens, with approximately 4,743,800 people in the military, amounting to 4.6% of the population under arms; 53,513 were killed in action, 63,195 died from other causes, 204,002 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 320,710 war casualties over a period of 19 months.
In
World War II, we had approximately 133.5 million citizens, with approximately 16,353,700 people in the military, amounting to 12.2% of the population under arms; 292,131 were killed in action, 115,185 died from other causes, 670,846 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 1,078,162 war casualties over a period of 44 months (amounting to 6,639 war deaths
per month).
In the
Korean War, we had approximately 151.7 million citizens, with 5,764,100 people in the military, amounting to 3.8% of the population under arms; 33,651 were killed in action, 103,284 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 136,935 war casualties over a period of 37 months.
In the
Vietnam War, we had approximately 204.9 million citizens, with 8,744,000 people in the military, amounting to 4.3% of the population under arms; 47,369 were killed in action, 10,799 died from other causes, 153,303 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 211,471 war casualties over a period of 90 months (amounting to 526 war deaths
per month).
In the first
Gulf War, we had approximately 260 million citizens, with 2,750,000 people in the military, amounting to an all-time low (with the exception of the Spanish-American and Mexican wars) of only 1.1% of the population under arms; 148 were killed in action, 145 died from other causes, approximately 467 were wounded but not killed, for a total of 760 war casualties over a 1 month period.
Statistics for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not available on that site. I suspect that is because the current conflict is ongoing...
The point of all that? That we haven't really yet begun to lose soldiers; history bears out that this is one of the safest conflicts in American history. Though a single death is too high a price, but objectively speaking we're still doing pretty damn well overall...
Our country has grown soft. We are fat and weak, and though no price can be placed on a single human life, we value Freedom and the ideals of the Framers too little. In our ongoing success, we have grown apathetic and detached; we no longer believe anything to be worth fighting and dying for; we are so wrapped up in our own "pursuit of happiness," we forget that sacrifice, hard and bitter, is what allowed our country to drag itself away from its own oppression and to come to the call of our allies time and again.
Bush is an idiot. Nobody would dispute that. Were it not for the fact that he is not personally running the show in prosecution of the War on Terror, that that is left to his advisors and generals, things would be far worse. But he is not the worst President we have had, and his track record and the wisdom of his decisions will be borne out by history.
In all this pointless debate, let's not lose sight of what the troops on the ground are fighting for -
each other (something I don't expect those of you who have never served to understand). They work for the safety and security of the Iraqi and Afghani people, whose countries have been immeasurably benefitted by our presence - they have schools where once they did not, they can vote where once they could not, and have a voice where once they were silenced by oppressive and murderous regimes. That is enough for me. Granted, the original stated purpose of our efforts have changed. That is upsetting, but it is a marginal issue. The grander issue is that we remain embroiled in combat action in these countries, and will continue to be so "until."
What's disgraceful about Mrs. Sheehan's behavior? That she cheapens her son's sacrifice by whining about her own lack of an audience with the busiest, most powerful person in the Western world. She has no concept of the responsibilities of the President, yet she pesters him like a bored child wanting attention from a parent who has immediate responsibilities for the good of the family to attend to. She says her son's death was pointless and wasted - that is an insult to her son, his service, and his sacrifice, as his efforts and the efforts of other war dead have allowed others to live free...
A few quotes, and my solitary contribution to this nonsensical thread is done:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
(Interesting degree of sacrifice, don't you think? Especially worthy of emulation, given the religious bent of so many Americans...)
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
(The true measure of what a soldier believes in, don't you think?)
Peace to all of you. May you never have to bear the burden of defending your own freedoms, that others far stronger defend them for you. May you never have to bear the burden of a family member, child, or comrade falling to the enemy to ensure your own liberties.
And may this all end sooner rather than later...
Pax.
:asian:
***EDIT For those who repeatedly talk about all their "taxes" that are "paying" for the war, shut up with all the talk like you've just bought a new appliance and now want the manufacturer to answer questions about the thing... You aren't "buying" a war. Your taxes fund the efforts of the Government, and ensure their ongoing activities. Certainly, the wages some of these jackasses are paid are beyond exorbitant and they should answer for that, but too many people act like they are personally funding every bomb and missile sent "down range." Get over it...
