SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
How America Invites Terrorism
Jun 08, 2015
Terrifying Facts
The most militarized states (1/4 of the total) received almost 2/3 of America's arms transfers (i.e., the 38 most militarized of 148 nations, plus Taiwan, which did not have a militarization ranking). This, of course, prompts a question about cause and effect: Do our arms sales contribute to increased militarization of other countries, or does the militarization encourage more business with the United States? Either way, our behavior is unconscionable. Over a quarter of all our arms sales goes to five "Non-Free" countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Oman (Democracy Index calls three of them "authoritarian regimes," and Iraq and Egypt "hybrids"). The U.S. share of global arms sales is anywhere from 31 to 75 percent of the total, depending on the source and method of analysis. Adding to our shame is that our #1 arms recipient through 2013 -- India -- has a median net worth of $1,000 and one of the highest Gini Coefficients (i.e., high inequality) in the world.
Weapons for ISIS -- from US!
It has been reported that ISIS has confiscated large numbers of weapons from Saudi Arabia, which has become the Number 1 U.S. customer for arms sales, as well as the world's Number 1 importer of weapons.
Where To Find Peace
A comparison of the Economist's Democracy Index with the Global Militarization Index reveals that, on average, democracies are just as militaristic as authoritarianism/democratic "hybrids."
Militarization Averages (1 = Most Militarized, 150 = Least Militarized):
Authoritarian 68.....Flawed Democracy 74.....Full Democracy 80.....Hybrid Regime 80
Israel is ranked as most militaristic, Haiti and Costa Rica as least militaristic, and the U.S., with a ranking of 31, as more militaristic than about 80 percent of the world's nations.
Apologies to the Troops
Instead of thanking the troops, we should be begging them for forgiveness, or, better yet, we should be properly informing them of their likely roles in the killing machine:
- You might have your body torn apart. Ann Jones recounted the experience of a doctor in Afghanistan: "His first surgical patient...was a young soldier who had stepped on an IED, triggering an upward blast that destroyed his legs and left his pelvic cavity 'hollowed out.' His urinary system was in shreds. His testicles were destroyed. His penis was attached to his body by only 'a little thread of skin.' That first surgery, the doctor said, was 'emotional' for everyone on the surgical team. 'The others hadn't seen anything like these injuries for a while, and I had never seen anything like it.'"
- You might kill innocent people. Nine-year-old Eman Waleed remembered American soldiers coming to his house in Haditha, Iraq in November 2005: "I couldn't see their faces very well - only their guns sticking into the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny." Ten years later the preferred killing method is the drone strike. According to human rights group Reprieve, well over a thousand people, many of them children, have been killed in Pakistan and Yemen during attempts to kill just 41 men.
- You may never be the same person again. Over a third of American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with some sort of mental disorders, more often than not the youngest soldiers, little more than children. Veterans are much more likely than other citizens to be unemployed, or, much worse, to commit suicide. And tens of thousands of homeless veterans are walking the streets.
The 'Freedom' Deception
War and 'freedom' have always been interconnected in American history. Abraham Lincoln spoke of the Civil War as "a new birth of freedom," World War II had FDR's "Four Freedoms" and the pro-war "Fight for Freedom Committee." The Cold War was waged to defend the "Free World." The Iraq War was labeled "Operation Iraqi Freedom." After 9/11 President George W. Bush told America: "Freedom itself is under attack...They hate our freedoms."
But the U.S. military, says a special report from the LA Times, "is gradually becoming a separate warrior class...that is becoming increasingly distinct from the public it is charged with protecting." Almost half of our 1.3 million active-duty troops come from just five states (California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia), and only a quarter of Americans admit to closely following news of war.
War does not bring freedom. It is an invitation to young men and women to begin a journey into their own personal worlds of terror.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Paul Buchheit
Paul Buchheit is an advocate for social and economic justice, and the author of numerous papers on economic inequality and cognitive science. He was recently named one of 300 Living Peace and Justice Leaders and Models. He is the author of "American Wars: Illusions and Realities" (2008) and "Disposable Americans: Extreme Capitalism and the Case for a Guaranteed Income" (2017). Contact email: paul (at) youdeservefacts.org.
Terrifying Facts
The most militarized states (1/4 of the total) received almost 2/3 of America's arms transfers (i.e., the 38 most militarized of 148 nations, plus Taiwan, which did not have a militarization ranking). This, of course, prompts a question about cause and effect: Do our arms sales contribute to increased militarization of other countries, or does the militarization encourage more business with the United States? Either way, our behavior is unconscionable. Over a quarter of all our arms sales goes to five "Non-Free" countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Oman (Democracy Index calls three of them "authoritarian regimes," and Iraq and Egypt "hybrids"). The U.S. share of global arms sales is anywhere from 31 to 75 percent of the total, depending on the source and method of analysis. Adding to our shame is that our #1 arms recipient through 2013 -- India -- has a median net worth of $1,000 and one of the highest Gini Coefficients (i.e., high inequality) in the world.
Weapons for ISIS -- from US!
It has been reported that ISIS has confiscated large numbers of weapons from Saudi Arabia, which has become the Number 1 U.S. customer for arms sales, as well as the world's Number 1 importer of weapons.
Where To Find Peace
A comparison of the Economist's Democracy Index with the Global Militarization Index reveals that, on average, democracies are just as militaristic as authoritarianism/democratic "hybrids."
Militarization Averages (1 = Most Militarized, 150 = Least Militarized):
Authoritarian 68.....Flawed Democracy 74.....Full Democracy 80.....Hybrid Regime 80
Israel is ranked as most militaristic, Haiti and Costa Rica as least militaristic, and the U.S., with a ranking of 31, as more militaristic than about 80 percent of the world's nations.
Apologies to the Troops
Instead of thanking the troops, we should be begging them for forgiveness, or, better yet, we should be properly informing them of their likely roles in the killing machine:
- You might have your body torn apart. Ann Jones recounted the experience of a doctor in Afghanistan: "His first surgical patient...was a young soldier who had stepped on an IED, triggering an upward blast that destroyed his legs and left his pelvic cavity 'hollowed out.' His urinary system was in shreds. His testicles were destroyed. His penis was attached to his body by only 'a little thread of skin.' That first surgery, the doctor said, was 'emotional' for everyone on the surgical team. 'The others hadn't seen anything like these injuries for a while, and I had never seen anything like it.'"
- You might kill innocent people. Nine-year-old Eman Waleed remembered American soldiers coming to his house in Haditha, Iraq in November 2005: "I couldn't see their faces very well - only their guns sticking into the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny." Ten years later the preferred killing method is the drone strike. According to human rights group Reprieve, well over a thousand people, many of them children, have been killed in Pakistan and Yemen during attempts to kill just 41 men.
- You may never be the same person again. Over a third of American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with some sort of mental disorders, more often than not the youngest soldiers, little more than children. Veterans are much more likely than other citizens to be unemployed, or, much worse, to commit suicide. And tens of thousands of homeless veterans are walking the streets.
The 'Freedom' Deception
War and 'freedom' have always been interconnected in American history. Abraham Lincoln spoke of the Civil War as "a new birth of freedom," World War II had FDR's "Four Freedoms" and the pro-war "Fight for Freedom Committee." The Cold War was waged to defend the "Free World." The Iraq War was labeled "Operation Iraqi Freedom." After 9/11 President George W. Bush told America: "Freedom itself is under attack...They hate our freedoms."
But the U.S. military, says a special report from the LA Times, "is gradually becoming a separate warrior class...that is becoming increasingly distinct from the public it is charged with protecting." Almost half of our 1.3 million active-duty troops come from just five states (California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia), and only a quarter of Americans admit to closely following news of war.
War does not bring freedom. It is an invitation to young men and women to begin a journey into their own personal worlds of terror.
Paul Buchheit
Paul Buchheit is an advocate for social and economic justice, and the author of numerous papers on economic inequality and cognitive science. He was recently named one of 300 Living Peace and Justice Leaders and Models. He is the author of "American Wars: Illusions and Realities" (2008) and "Disposable Americans: Extreme Capitalism and the Case for a Guaranteed Income" (2017). Contact email: paul (at) youdeservefacts.org.
Terrifying Facts
The most militarized states (1/4 of the total) received almost 2/3 of America's arms transfers (i.e., the 38 most militarized of 148 nations, plus Taiwan, which did not have a militarization ranking). This, of course, prompts a question about cause and effect: Do our arms sales contribute to increased militarization of other countries, or does the militarization encourage more business with the United States? Either way, our behavior is unconscionable. Over a quarter of all our arms sales goes to five "Non-Free" countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Oman (Democracy Index calls three of them "authoritarian regimes," and Iraq and Egypt "hybrids"). The U.S. share of global arms sales is anywhere from 31 to 75 percent of the total, depending on the source and method of analysis. Adding to our shame is that our #1 arms recipient through 2013 -- India -- has a median net worth of $1,000 and one of the highest Gini Coefficients (i.e., high inequality) in the world.
Weapons for ISIS -- from US!
It has been reported that ISIS has confiscated large numbers of weapons from Saudi Arabia, which has become the Number 1 U.S. customer for arms sales, as well as the world's Number 1 importer of weapons.
Where To Find Peace
A comparison of the Economist's Democracy Index with the Global Militarization Index reveals that, on average, democracies are just as militaristic as authoritarianism/democratic "hybrids."
Militarization Averages (1 = Most Militarized, 150 = Least Militarized):
Authoritarian 68.....Flawed Democracy 74.....Full Democracy 80.....Hybrid Regime 80
Israel is ranked as most militaristic, Haiti and Costa Rica as least militaristic, and the U.S., with a ranking of 31, as more militaristic than about 80 percent of the world's nations.
Apologies to the Troops
Instead of thanking the troops, we should be begging them for forgiveness, or, better yet, we should be properly informing them of their likely roles in the killing machine:
- You might have your body torn apart. Ann Jones recounted the experience of a doctor in Afghanistan: "His first surgical patient...was a young soldier who had stepped on an IED, triggering an upward blast that destroyed his legs and left his pelvic cavity 'hollowed out.' His urinary system was in shreds. His testicles were destroyed. His penis was attached to his body by only 'a little thread of skin.' That first surgery, the doctor said, was 'emotional' for everyone on the surgical team. 'The others hadn't seen anything like these injuries for a while, and I had never seen anything like it.'"
- You might kill innocent people. Nine-year-old Eman Waleed remembered American soldiers coming to his house in Haditha, Iraq in November 2005: "I couldn't see their faces very well - only their guns sticking into the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny." Ten years later the preferred killing method is the drone strike. According to human rights group Reprieve, well over a thousand people, many of them children, have been killed in Pakistan and Yemen during attempts to kill just 41 men.
- You may never be the same person again. Over a third of American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with some sort of mental disorders, more often than not the youngest soldiers, little more than children. Veterans are much more likely than other citizens to be unemployed, or, much worse, to commit suicide. And tens of thousands of homeless veterans are walking the streets.
The 'Freedom' Deception
War and 'freedom' have always been interconnected in American history. Abraham Lincoln spoke of the Civil War as "a new birth of freedom," World War II had FDR's "Four Freedoms" and the pro-war "Fight for Freedom Committee." The Cold War was waged to defend the "Free World." The Iraq War was labeled "Operation Iraqi Freedom." After 9/11 President George W. Bush told America: "Freedom itself is under attack...They hate our freedoms."
But the U.S. military, says a special report from the LA Times, "is gradually becoming a separate warrior class...that is becoming increasingly distinct from the public it is charged with protecting." Almost half of our 1.3 million active-duty troops come from just five states (California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia), and only a quarter of Americans admit to closely following news of war.
War does not bring freedom. It is an invitation to young men and women to begin a journey into their own personal worlds of terror.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.