War Terrorism 11 15 2011 What is War factions Involves Violence An organized armed conflict between nations or distinct political Declared between nations or parties Undeclared civil and guerilla wars covert operations terrorism Brings pain physical injury and or psychological stress to people and or destroys property Enduring and persistent Peace multiple contested definitions Absent of violent conflict Harmonious relations No bloodshed Prevailing in a battle war List of US Military Interventions since 1890 o Turkish Newspaper noted that US should be listed in Guinness World Records for most military involvements War System Societies that remain prepared for war Includes social institutions economy government and education cultural beliefs and practices That promote the development of warriors weapons and war as part of society and foreign policy Military Industrial Complex Giant industrial infrastructure Produces war goods Shifting Targets WWI civilian deaths rare considered too violent WWII onward civilians targeted as deaths intentional rape as war crime make women bear children of enemy in war Military Industrial Complex grew during the 1950s and the Cold War state of readiness without actual battle o 1950 1990 US spent 10 2 trillion for arms build up Consequences of War 1 Loss of life a Wars increasingly deadly b Estimated 142 millions lives lost in wars 1500 1900 c WWI 9 million d WWII 52 million 254 military 35 million civlians e 6000 tropps have died as have 2300 Pentagon contractors f more than 13700 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq g Unknown number in Pakistan but the number estimated to be as high or higher than the toll in Afghanistan 2 Serious Injuries and psychological effects of surviors future medical and disability costs for Iraq and Afghanistan vets estimated 600 billion to 1 trillion Loss of income for injured veterans As of fall 2010 o Over 550 000 disability claims have been registered with the Approximately 26 of retuning vets have some kind of mental VA health condition o Mental health o Homelessness o Joblessness Toxic Dust exposures o High rates of respiratory neurological and cardiovascular disease in returning troops 3 Technology becomes deadlier more destructive today nuclear bombs are 4 000 times m ore powerful nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima 130 000 dead 23 330 total nuclear forces in world in 2009 Despite calls for non proliferation Weapons of Mass Destruction WMD have increased o Nuclear biological chemical or radiological weapons o Can kill thousands of people o Destroy vast amounts of property 4 Patriotism group to hate function of war to create unity creates an external enemy for a enemy is dehumanized seen as an object to destroy 5 Images of War misleading and inaccurate Bush declares Victory 6 Spending 1 3 trillion spent last ten years current wars paid for by borrowing money raises US budget deficit increases national debt Lost Jobs interest on Pentagon spending from 2001 2011 is about 185 billion Increased US interest rates Military spending does produce jobs o 1 million military spending 8 3 jobs o war spending less labor intensive more for technology and most goes overseas o Spending in other areas could produce more jobs 1 million in education 15 5 jobs in public education 14 3 jobs in healthcare 1 million in renewable nergy 12 jobs in home weatherization 1 million construction 11 1 jobs c Corporate War Profiteering wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and increase in the Pentagon s budget military contracts of 400 billion more private contract employees involved in the war in Iraq than uniformed military personnel contracts highly concentrated in the hands o boeing o Northrop grummman o Raytheon o General dynamics o Lockheed martin o Halliburton Received 29 billion in Pentagon contracts in 2008 First Iraq related contract was a no bid open ended 7 year contract awarded before the war even began Contracts jumped from 483 million in 2002 to over 6 billion in 2006 7 Erosion of Civil Liberties detention detention system torture Racial profiling 50 000 Afghanis detained just during the first three years of war over 100 000 Iraqi prisoners have passed through the American run in 2004 accounts of abuse including the torture rape sodomy and death of Abu Ghraib prisoners Detention and questioning at airports School place bullying work place discrimination Investigation of Muslim charities Surveillance Patriot Act allows FBI to demand info from phone companies ISPs Increased wiretapping and monitoring of US citizens banks casinos jewelers realty firms USPS o Without any court order or independent review of such demands 8 Environmental Costs radical destruction of forest cover total forest area decreased 38 in Afghanistan from 1990 to 2007 increase in carbon emissions water supply contaminated by oil from military vehicles and depleted uranium from ammunition animal bird populations adversely affected o number of birds in Afghanistan dropped by 85 o Exacerbates existing social inequalities Race who becomes enlisted as a soldier Class targeting poor working class youth for recruitment war contracts worth billions Gender rape as a war rime increasing victimization abuse and mistreatment of enlisted women Health care increased need for wounded vets decreasing care overcrowding of VA hospitals 11 15 2011 11 15 2011
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