Infographic: Veterans Day/History of American Wars

[LWPD]

A special thanks to all of our veterans and those currently serving. Without your sacrifices, we probably wouldn't have the time to enjoy silly hobbies like this. Happy Veterans Day!

Courtesy of lowrates.com
Infographic: The History of American Wars

"Veterans Day is a day dedicated to remembering those whom have sacrificed so much on behalf of our great country, a day set aside to remember those who have fought for our freedoms, and a day to say thank you for just that. America has faced many wars, lost many soldiers, and seen the wounded return home. We hope this infographic below helps you remember our Veterans this day and vow to help one of them smile."

[marktaggart]

Look at those dollar figures! War sure does make a lot of people a lot of money. As two time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Major General Smedley D. Butler (a man who saw his fair share of battle and then some) tried to warn people before the start of World War II, war is a racket.

www.warisaracket.com/

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

[mikefortune]

The charts should also state that during the War of 1812 a large portion of the dead and wounded on the British side were Americans who were living in Ontario and were loyal to the British crown, same as the American Revolution. In the American/Mexican war I am sure it was not the British they were fighting. and in WW1, WW2 and Korean there were other countries in those wars. Not sure if your American history books covers that.

[marktaggart]

Using my adequate US education I am reasonably certain I can read and comprehend charts and graphs. This one shows total American casualties and total cost in US dollars; it does NOT break down totals for all parties involved, nor does it provide background information on the wars in question. What you suggest would be akin to asking that a pie chart breaking down what someone would do should they find a millions dollars include where the money originally came from and the feelings of those who lost it.

Regardless, the point is clear: war is a racket and the people who declare war are NEVER the ones who fight them, but ALWAYS the ones to profit.

[chewey]

Mike Fortune, as soon as I saw you had a response, I knew some sort of "Canada kicked America's ass in 1812" lol.

No doubt war is a business for many. I'm friends with enough defense contractors in DC to know that. There is also an argument posed by some that WWII is what brought us out of the Great Depression rather than any of FDR's New Deal programs.

[mikefortune]

I always like to bring that war up to my American friends. Most never even know it happened. I met 2 guys at the Cherry lounge in Jamestown during G-con and one guy wanted to know how Canadians celebrated July 4th and when I told him we don't he was shocked. And this dude went to college. I just love how much you guys are taught about our country.

It just seems America like it's wars and will tell every one how good they are at kicking ass and spending money on the military.

[marktaggart]

Nov 14, 2012 0:44:29 GMT -5 mikefortune said:

It just seems America like it's wars and will tell every one how good they are at kicking ass and spending money on the military.

I seem to be American, but I must not be since you've just lumped us all into the category of uneducated, senseless, barbaric war mongers. That's pretty broad and you may need a course in General Semantics.


"How is it that humans have progressed so rapidly in science, mathematics, and engineering, yet we continue to exhibit behaviors that result in misunderstanding, suspicion, bigotry,hatred, and even violence in our dealings with other people and with other cultures?"
-Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950)

[swarm]

Nov 14, 2012 0:44:29 GMT -5 mikefortune said:

I always like to bring that war up to my American friends. Most never even know it happened. I met 2 guys at the Cherry lounge in Jamestown during G-con and one guy wanted to know how Canadians celebrated July 4th and when I told him we don't he was shocked. And this dude went to college. I just love how much you guys are taught about our country.

Key word here is Jamestown.