post 9/11 wars cost taxpayers over 6 trillion, cause 480,000 dealths to violence.

Looking back on our 17 years of war, it's starting to become apparent it isn't ending any time soon, and the bills keep piling up.

During the Vietnam War, the institution of the draft forced the public to maintain at least some basic level of awareness about the war. But the creation of an all-volunteer military has made the conflicts much easier to ignore. As public attention has waned, it has become easier for the U.S. government to obscure its own role in helping foment violent crises that have sent waves of desperate refugees streaming across the world. It has also helped deflect attention from wartime expenditures that are now estimated to have sucked up over $6 trillion in public funds — money that could have done much good in a country that is starving for infrastructure and public health spending.

More than just the money though, we have the impact on life. The loss of life to direct violence is estimated at 480,000, with other variables skyrocketing that number.

Brown University’s Costs of War Project this month released a new estimate of the total death toll from the U.S. wars in three countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The numbers, while conservatively estimated, are staggering. Brown’s researchers estimate that at least 480,000 people have been directly killed by violence over the course of these conflicts, more than 244,000 of them civilians. In addition to those killed by direct acts violence, the number of indirect deaths — those resulting from disease, displacement, and the loss of critical infrastructure — is believed to be several times higher, running into the millions.

The Intercept

So at what point with the public have enough of this?

What point will we demand we stop blowing money on countries who didn't attack us? Surely the impact we left in the region will just create future enemies.

Of course all of this money is going to compound interest as well seeing as we're in debt. How much is this going to cost us as taxpayers before it's all said and done?

The only thing I would refute is that it's been 27 years. Nothing has stopped since 1991.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
The only thing I would refute is that it's been 27 years. Nothing has stopped since 1991.

Sure, we had things going on in the 90's.... But that's a drop in the bucket compared to fiscal and human cost post 9/11.

Well, we haven't invaded, started bombing, or overthrown the Govts of any new countries since Trump got elected.

Progress!

originally posted by: watchitburn
Well, we haven't invaded, started bombing, or overthrown the Govts of any new countries since Trump got elected.

Progress!

This is one thing I am happy about, hopefully that trend continues.

Some can see past the smoke clouds, and some can't.

The war machine is impressive; the myopia of the citizens of the war machine making them think that, they are good, is even more impressive.

Point out any of the terrible war track record of the United States and the perpetual war machine all you want, as long as we think we are the good guys, our actions won't let up, in the name of the greater good.

Everyone here will defend the US track record or dismiss any debate about our actions abroad.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Iraq is the biggest part of that. And those ten years were not a drop in the bucket. I take it you never deployed to the middle east? Deployments....at least for the AF have NEVER stopped since 1991. 24/7/365.

originally posted by: watchitburn
Well, we haven't invaded, started bombing, or overthrown the Govts of any new countries since Trump got elected.

Progress!

That you know of, one of the many problems with the elements of the US government who are responsible for the coups and questionable acts abroad, is that they are as transparent as concrete

You're right. This is the subject that reveals all virtue-signalers on both sides.

This is what they don't want us discussing and coming together on. Hence much of the purposed division.

Warning: we can only overlook this for so long before karma--so to speak--is the end result.

The Evil That Men Do hides behind both red and blue in the political class. Our crappy foreign policy never changes whether the Bush Crime Family or the Clinton Crime Family. Covert operations and proxy wars R Us.

I don't really want to hear about bathrooms or walls...what are we going to do about this aggression and death we perpetuate?

Thank you, OP.

link

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: CriticalStinker

Iraq is the biggest part of that. And those ten years were not a drop in the bucket. I take it you never deployed to the middle east? Deployments....at least for the AF have NEVER stopped since 1991. 24/7/365.

The US Department of Defense has estimated the incremental costs of the Gulf War at $61 billion, with US allies providing about $54 billion of that -- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states covered $36 billion. Germany and Japan covered $16 billion. Estimates of Iraqi soldier deaths range from 1,500 to 100,000. The United States had 382 military casualties.

Less of 1% of the cost, seeing as the casualties are all estimates, we can still say it was dramatically less.

a reply to: The GUT

Excellent post The Gut!

American exceptionalism (in the context of foreign policy) knows no major party bounds.

The deaths will perpetuate future enemies, and we will have to come to atone withe the fiscal cost that will catch up to us one day. My guess will be everything neglected for allocating that money to wars.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Where do you think bin Laden came from? I forget the book but we used him and Afghan fighters o beat Russia in the Stan and then abandoned them all after Russia retreated.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: CriticalStinker

Where do you think bin Laden came from? I forget the book but we used him and Afghan fighters o beat Russia in the Stan and then abandoned them all after Russia retreated.

Fully aware.

Bin Laden was used by the US as a proxy to hurt Russia.

He is far from the only instance of the US putting someone into power only to end up fighting them later on.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

If we went to war with only countries that attacked us, the world might be dominated by communism, nazism and Islamo-fascism.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Dont worry about it. Iran is next says the PNAC document from the 90's, so by golly Trump needs to go to WAR with Iran.

a reply to: Propagandalf

Islamo-fascism was effectively manufactured across so much of the globe because of US foreign policy (military imperialism that required a perpetual enemy to sustain a perpetual war economy).

Good thinkin'!

originally posted by: Propagandalf
a reply to: CriticalStinker

If we went to war with only countries that attacked us, the world might be dominated by communism, nazism and Islamo-fascism.

Keyword might, but probably not.

That said, we never went to war with Russia. We did with Vietnam and failed, along with North Korea, so I don't see how that changed the course of communism too much.

As for Nazism, after Pearl Harbor, we joined the allies pitting us against Germany.

But are you really worried the world is going to be dominated by "Islamo-facism"? You think the west is going to give up our way of life and all become extremist Muslims?

I don't.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: Propagandalf

Islamo-fascism was effectively manufactured across so much of the globe because of US foreign policy (military imperialism that required a perpetual enemy to sustain a perpetual war economy).

Good thinkin'!

Riiiiight. No, I'm speaking of Baathism.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

originally posted by: Propagandalf
a reply to: CriticalStinker

If we went to war with only countries that attacked us, the world might be dominated by communism, nazism and Islamo-fascism.

Keyword might, but probably not.

That said, we never went to war with Russia. We did with Vietnam and failed, along with North Korea, so I don't see how that changed the course of communism too much.

As for Nazism, after Pearl Harbor, we joined the allies pitting us against Germany.

But are you really worried the world is going to be dominated by "Islamo-facism"? You think the west is going to give up our way of life and all become extremist Muslims?

I don't.

We had a cold war with the Former Soviet Union, and international communism in general. Not many communist states around as far as I can tell. It's the same with Nazism. Good people rose to oppose their tyrannies, many losing their lives to do so. That's the evil thing about this sort of pacifism: it can only be practiced in countries where people protect you while you sleep, entire generations of people having died to defend your freedoms.

a reply to: Propagandalf

Communism was inherently flawed, aside from the USSR and the cold war, it defeated itself.

But you never answered my question.

Are you concerned with extremist Islam taking over the globe as you compared it to Communism and Nazism?