Tag Archives: rebooting the american dream

One Million Dead in Iraq

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I overheard today on the radio that some poll says that Americans are at an all time high of 60% disapproval of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here are some basic information that Thom Hartmann outlines in his book Rebooting the American Dream about the results of our occupation of Iraq:

  • 1+ million dead in Iraq (civilians, soldiers, all nationalities)
  • 4.5 million Iraqi refugees
  • 5 million Iraqi orphans

I say “occupation” purposefully because that is how the Iraqis now see it.

Thom also lists things like torture of Iraqi prisoners, child prostitution resulting from children loosing their parents, aerial bombardment of wedding parties, etc.

It all sounds horribly grim, because (I believe) it is. And looking at these statistics and facts, we have to ask ourselves, even if you feel they help prevent future terrorist attacks, were these wars worth it? This question does not dishonor the sacrifice of our troops. There are still troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have to talk about these growing body counts, because if we don’t, the two wars may stretch out beyond 2011 into the indefinite future.

PS: I refuse to accept President Obama’s declaration that the war in Iraq is over. As long as we have troops patrolling the streets there, the war is not over.

Do Not Weep, Maiden, For War is Kind

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* The title is the first line of a powerful Stephen Crane poem.

I have been thinking about war a lot lately. Some people have said to me in the past that I can’t possibly “understand war” or that my opinion is worthless because I have not joined the military and seen action on the “front lines”. Let me just say on that point, that I support the draft, just like Thomas Jefferson did. I believe that everyone should experience military service and thus be able to make more qualified judgement as a citizen when congress decides to declare war against another nation. My belief is that, in that case, many more citizens will speak out against (and prevent) wars of questionable intent and justification such as the current two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But the lack of a civilly-educated citizenry and the dominance of a culture which looks down upon those that speak out against a war creates a foreign policy of constant escalation. John F. Kennedy said it beautifully:

“War will exist until the distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige as the warrior does today.”

I got this quote from Thom Hartmann’s book Rebooting the American Dream