“I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one.” -President Theodore Roosevelt, at the turn of the century [1]

Islam is inherently more violent than other religions. This is the Supreme Islamophobic Myth. Yes, there are other core beliefs of Islamophobia (Islam is sexist, oppressive, discriminatory, the list goes on…), but nothing is more critical to anti-Muslim bigots than associating Islam with violence, war, and terrorism. This, in turn, is used to justify bombing, invading, and occupying Muslim countries–what I call the Supreme Islamophobic Crime.

We see this quite clearly in the jingoistic rhetoric against Iran, a Muslim country that is portrayed as being inherently violent and warlike. This is then flipped around, using the argument that we must attack them before they attack us.

Yet, this is a Myth–the Mother of all Myths. It is the United States that has been waging wars of aggression, not Iran. Ahmed Rehab challenged Bill O’Reilly on this point by asking him: “How many countries has Iran attacked in the past 50 years?” The answer is, of course, zero. Meanwhile, the United States and her “stalwart ally” Israel have attacked numerous Muslim countries, as I recently portrayed in this graphic:

The U.S., in the name of fighting terror, is waging seemingly Endless War in the Muslim world. The “We are at War” mentality defines a generation of Americans, with many young adults having lived their entire lives while the country has been “at war.” For them, war is the norm.

But if the future of America promises Endless War, be rest assured that this is no different than her past. Below, I have reproduced a year-by-year timeline of America’s wars, which reveals something quite interesting: since the United States was founded in 1776, she has been at war during 214 out of her 235 calendar years of existence. In other words, there were only 21 calendar years in which the U.S. did not wage any wars.

To put this in perspective:

* Pick any year since 1776 and there is about a 91% chance that America was involved in some war during that calendar year.

* No U.S. president truly qualifies as a peacetime president. Instead, all U.S. presidents can technically be considered “war presidents.”

* The U.S. has never gone a decade without war.

* The only time the U.S. went five years without war (1935-40) was during the isolationist period of the Great Depression.

When we look at the present situation (see map above) and our violent past (see timeline below), is it not a bit hypocritical of us to point the finger at Muslims? Whenever I hear “good Judeo-Christian American patriots” telling me how violent Muslims are and how Islam supposedly endorses Perpetual War–I cannot help but think of how their own “Judeo-Christian nation” has been locked in perpetual warfare since its inception.

The U.S. was born out of ethnic cleansing, a violent process that had started long before 1776 and would not be complete until 1900. In other words, more than half of America’s existence (about 53%) has been marked by the active process of ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population, which was ultimately all but destroyed.

If the Islamophobes insist that the Armenian Genocide, which took place in the span of eight years, defines the Ottoman Empire (which existed for over 600 years, meaning the Armenian Genocide lasted only 1% of its existence), then would they be consistent and use this logic to argue that the ethnic cleansing of the American Indians (which spanned more than a century and a quarter, or 53% of America’s existence) defines the United States? Or would they use it to demean Christianity overall as they do Islam? (Note: Benjamin Taghov has made this comparison on our website before; see here.)

By looking at America’s many wars throughout history, it becomes apparent that it is not radical Islam that propels the country to war. Rather, it is America’s trajectory of war and conquest, which has always been in the direction of expanding hegemony. In the start, the country expanded by occupying American Indian lands, portraying its indigenous population as inherently violent and warlike. In 1823, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall wrote: “The tribes of Indians inhabiting this country were fierce savages, whose occupation was war…” [2]

The American Indians were thought to be an existential threat to the United States (a classic case of projection or role inversion): John Quincy Adams, for example, wrote that “the savage Indians” were out to “wage an exterminating war” against the “peaceful inhabitants” of the United States [3]. It was the same message then as it is now: we must attack them before they attack us.

As Indian land was gobbled up by the use of force and fraud, the U.S. border expanded to the periphery of Mexico (which at that time consisted of most of the West Coast and Southwest of the modern United States). Hungry for this land too, the U.S. invaded Mexico, and “Mexicans were portrayed as violent and treacherous bandits who terrorized” the people [4]. American belligerence towards Mexico heated up in the 1800’s, culminated in the U.S. annexation of half of Mexico’s land (leaving right-wingers today to wonder “why so many Mexicans are in our country?”), and seamlessly transitioned into the Banana Wars of the early 1900’s.

Once the Americans had successfully implemented Manifest Destiny by conquering the land from sea to shining sea, the Monroe Doctrine was used to expand American influence in the Caribbean and Central America. Thus began the Banana Wars, a series of military interventions from 1898 all the way to 1934, which attempted to expand American hegemony to the south of its borders. America’s brutality in this part of the world is not well-known to most Americans, but it is well-documented.

During this time period, Hispanics were portrayed as “cunningly dangerous bandits” [5]. The Banana Wars came to an end in 1934 with the adoption of the “Good Neighbor Policy,” a policy that was adopted because “World War II was looming in Europe and Asia” and the U.S. wanted “to secure Latin American allegiances and hemispheric unity as a protection against foreign invasion” [6].

For a brief period, from 1935-1940, America rested from war, thanks to the emergence of isolationism during the Great Depression. But, with the start of World War II, the U.S. emerged as a super-power, ever hungry for more conflict. Thus began the Cold War period from 1945 all the way to 1991, with the U.S. fighting “the (exaggerated) menace of Communism” all over the world, even when it meant bombing, invading, and occupying countries that had done no harm to the U.S.

The Cold War had not even ended before the U.S. found its new target: the Middle East and the Muslim world. By 1990, the U.S. was already bombing Iraq in the First Gulf War–a country that the U.S. would go on to bomb for over two decades. Needing another boogieman now that the Soviet Union was dead, the U.S. turned to “radical Islam” as the enemy. And that’s why you have the map as it is above.

It should be noted that American plans to dominate the Middle East date back to at least the end of World War II, when it was decided that the region was of critical strategic value. Now that the U.S. has followed through on this plan, do you think “radical Islam” is really “an existential threat” just as American Indians were “fierce savages” waging “an exterminating war” against the “peaceful inhabitants” of the United States; or how Mexicans were “violent” and “terrorized” people; or how Central Americans were “dangerous bandits”? The rampant Islamophobia that abounds today is part of a long tradition of vilifying, Other-izing, and dehumanizing the indigenous populations of lands that need to controlled.

The objects of American aggression have certainly changed with time, but the primary motivating factor behind U.S. wars of aggression have always been the same: expansion of U.S. hegemony. The Muslim world is being bombed, invaded, and occupied by the United States not because of radical Islam or any inherent flaw in themselves. Rather, it is being so attacked because it is in the path of the American juggernaut, which is always in need of war.

* * * * *

Here is a graphic depiction of U.S. wars:

And here is the year-by-year timeline of America’s major wars:

[Note: This is a non-exhaustive list, and I purposefully excluded all sorts of military interventions so as to be very conservative; the list excludes, for example, “peaceful means” used to ethnically cleanse the land of American Indians, i.e. fraudulent treaties and other coercive means; it excludes many outright massacres of American Indians; it further excludes several instances of the U.S. landing troops in various countries to “protect American interests”; it also excludes virtually all CIA interventions and other covert wars; lastly, I may have omitted wars due to my own ignorance of them, although I am sure that readers will give their input so we can add to the list as needed.]

Year-by-year Timeline of America’s Major Wars (1776-2011) 1776 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamagua Wars, Second Cherokee War, Pennamite-Yankee War 1777 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Second Cherokee War, Pennamite-Yankee War 1778 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1779 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1780 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1781 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1782 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1783 – American Revolutionary War, Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War 1784 – Chickamauga Wars, Pennamite-Yankee War, Oconee War 1785 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1786 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1787 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1788 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1789 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1790 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1791 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1792 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1793 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1794 – Chickamauga Wars, Northwest Indian War 1795 – Northwest Indian War 1796 – No major war 1797 – No major war 1798 – Quasi-War 1799 – Quasi-War 1800 – Quasi-War 1801 – First Barbary War 1802 – First Barbary War 1803 – First Barbary War 1804 – First Barbary War 1805 – First Barbary War 1806 – Sabine Expedition 1807 – No major war 1808 – No major war 1809 – No major war 1810 – U.S. occupies Spanish-held West Florida 1811 – Tecumseh’s War 1812 – War of 1812, Tecumseh’s War, Seminole Wars, U.S. occupies Spanish-held Amelia Island and other parts of East Florida 1813 – War of 1812, Tecumseh’s War, Peoria War, Creek War, U.S. expands its territory in West Florida 1814 – War of 1812, Creek War, U.S. expands its territory in Florida, Anti-piracy war 1815 – War of 1812, Second Barbary War, Anti-piracy war 1816 – First Seminole War, Anti-piracy war 1817 – First Seminole War, Anti-piracy war 1818 – First Seminole War, Anti-piracy war 1819 – Yellowstone Expedition, Anti-piracy war 1820 – Yellowstone Expedition, Anti-piracy war 1821 – Anti-piracy war (see note above) 1822 – Anti-piracy war (see note above) 1823 – Anti-piracy war, Arikara War 1824 – Anti-piracy war 1825 – Yellowstone Expedition, Anti-piracy war 1826 – No major war 1827 – Winnebago War 1828 – No major war 1829 – No major war 1830 – No major war 1831 – Sac and Fox Indian War 1832 – Black Hawk War 1833 – Cherokee Indian War 1834 – Cherokee Indian War, Pawnee Indian Territory Campaign 1835 – Cherokee Indian War, Seminole Wars, Second Creek War 1836 – Cherokee Indian War, Seminole Wars, Second Creek War, Missouri-Iowa Border War 1837 – Cherokee Indian War, Seminole Wars, Second Creek War, Osage Indian War, Buckshot War 1838 – Cherokee Indian War, Seminole Wars, Buckshot War, Heatherly Indian War 1839 – Cherokee Indian War, Seminole Wars 1840 – Seminole Wars, U.S. naval forces invade Fiji Islands 1841 – Seminole Wars, U.S. naval forces invade McKean Island, Gilbert Islands, and Samoa 1842 – Seminole Wars 1843 – U.S. forces clash with Chinese, U.S. troops invade African coast 1844 – Texas-Indian Wars 1845 – Texas-Indian Wars 1846 – Mexican-American War, Texas-Indian Wars 1847 – Mexican-American War, Texas-Indian Wars 1848 – Mexican-American War, Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War 1849 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians 1850 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Yuma War, California Indian Wars, Pitt River Expedition 1851 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, Yuma War, Utah Indian Wars, California Indian Wars 1852 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Yuma War, Utah Indian Wars, California Indian Wars 1853 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Yuma War, Utah Indian Wars, Walker War, California Indian Wars 1854 – Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians 1855 – Seminole Wars, Texas-Indian Wars, Cayuse War, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Yakima War, Winnas Expedition, Klickitat War, Puget Sound War, Rogue River Wars, U.S. forces invade Fiji Islands and Uruguay 1856 – Seminole Wars, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, California Indian Wars, Puget Sound War, Rogue River Wars, Tintic War 1857 – Seminole Wars, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, California Indian Wars, Utah War, Conflict in Nicaragua 1858 – Seminole Wars, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Mohave War, California Indian Wars, Spokane-Coeur d’Alene-Paloos War, Utah War, U.S. forces invade Fiji Islands and Uruguay 1859 Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, California Indian Wars, Pecos Expedition, Antelope Hills Expedition, Bear River Expedition, John Brown’s raid, U.S. forces launch attack against Paraguay, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1860 – Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Paiute War, Kiowa-Comanche War 1861 – American Civil War, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Cheyenne Campaign 1862 – American Civil War, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Cheyenne Campaign, Dakota War of 1862, 1863 – American Civil War, Texas-Indian Wars, Southwest Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Cheyenne Campaign, Colorado War, Goshute War 1864 – American Civil War, Texas-Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Cheyenne Campaign, Colorado War, Snake War 1865 – American Civil War, Texas-Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Colorado War, Snake War, Utah’s Black Hawk War 1866 – Texas-Indian Wars, Navajo Wars, Apache Wars, California Indian Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Snake War, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Red Cloud’s War, Franklin County War, U.S. invades Mexico, Conflict with China 1867 – Texas-Indian Wars, Long Walk of the Navajo, Apache Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Snake War, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Red Cloud’s War, Comanche Wars, Franklin County War, U.S. troops occupy Nicaragua and attack Taiwan 1868 – Texas-Indian Wars, Long Walk of the Navajo, Apache Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Snake War, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Red Cloud’s War, Comanche Wars, Battle of Washita River, Franklin County War 1869 – Texas-Indian Wars, Apache Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Comanche Wars, Franklin County War 1870 – Texas-Indian Wars, Apache Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Comanche Wars, Franklin County War 1871 – Texas-Indian Wars, Apache Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Comanche Wars, Franklin County War, Kingsley Cave Massacre, U.S. forces invade Korea 1872 – Texas-Indian Wars, Apache Wars, Utah’s Black Hawk War, Comanche Wars, Modoc War, Franklin County War 1873 – Texas-Indian Wars, Comanche Wars, Modoc War, Apache Wars, Cypress Hills Massacre, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1874 – Texas-Indian Wars, Comanche Wars, Red River War, Mason County War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1875 – Conflict in Mexico, Texas-Indian Wars, Comanche Wars, Eastern Nevada, Mason County War, Colfax County War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1876 – Texas-Indian Wars, Black Hills War, Mason County War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1877 – Texas-Indian Wars, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Black Hills War, Nez Perce War, Mason County War, Lincoln County War, San Elizario Salt War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1878 – Paiute Indian conflict, Bannock War, Cheyenne War, Lincoln County War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1879 – Cheyenne War, Sheepeater Indian War, White River War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1880 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1881 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1882 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1883 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1884 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1885 – Apache Wars, Eastern Nevada Expedition, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1886 – Apache Wars, Pleasant Valley War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1887 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1888 – U.S. show of force against Haiti, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1889 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1890 – Sioux Indian War, Skirmish between 1st Cavalry and Indians, Ghost Dance War, Wounded Knee, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1891 – Sioux Indian War, Ghost Dance War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1892 – Johnson County War, U.S. forces invade Mexico 1893 – U.S. forces invade Mexico and Hawaii 1894 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1895 – U.S. forces invade Mexico, Bannock Indian Disturbances 1896 – U.S. forces invade Mexico 1897 – No major war 1898 – Spanish-American War, Battle of Leech Lake, Chippewa Indian Disturbances 1899 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1900 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1901 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1902 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1903 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1904 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1905 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1906 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1907 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1908 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1909 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1910 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1911 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1912 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars 1913 – Philippine-American War, Banana Wars, New Mexico Navajo War 1914 – Banana Wars, U.S. invades Mexico 1915 – Banana Wars, U.S. invades Mexico, Colorado Paiute War 1916 – Banana Wars, U.S. invades Mexico 1917 – Banana Wars, World War I, U.S. invades Mexico 1918 – Banana Wars, World War I, U.S invades Mexico 1919 – Banana Wars, U.S. invades Mexico 1920 – Banana Wars 1921 – Banana Wars 1922 – Banana Wars 1923 – Banana Wars, Posey War 1924 – Banana Wars 1925 – Banana Wars 1926 – Banana Wars 1927 – Banana Wars 1928 – Banana Wars 1930 – Banana Wars 1931 – Banana Wars 1932 – Banana Wars 1933 – Banana Wars 1934 – Banana Wars 1935 – No major war 1936 – No major war 1937 – No major war 1938 – No major war 1939 – No major war 1940 – No major war 1941 – World War II 1942 – World War II 1943 – Wold War II 1944 – World War II 1945 – World War II 1946 – Cold War (U.S. occupies the Philippines and South Korea) 1947 – Cold War (U.S. occupies South Korea, U.S. forces land in Greece to fight Communists) 1948 – Cold War (U.S. forces aid Chinese Nationalist Party against Communists) 1949 – Cold War (U.S. forces aid Chinese Nationalist Party against Communists) 1950 – Korean War, Jayuga Uprising 1951 – Korean War 1952 – Korean War 1953 – Korean War 1954 – Covert War in Guatemala 1955 – Vietnam War 1956 – Vietnam War 1957 – Vietnam War 1958 – Vietnam War 1959 – Vietnam War, Conflict in Haiti 1960 – Vietam War 1961 – Vietnam War 1962 – Vietnam War, Cold War (Cuban Missile Crisis; U.S. marines fight Communists in Thailand) 1963 – Vietnam War 1964 – Vietnam War 1965 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic 1966 – Vietnam War, U.S. occupation of Dominican Republic 1967 – Vietnam War 1968 – Vietnam War 1969 – Vietnam War 1970 – Vietnam War 1971 – Vietnam War 1972 – Vietnam War 1973 – Vietnam War, U.S. aids Israel in Yom Kippur War 1974 – Vietnam War 1975 – Vietnam War 1976 – No major war 1977 – No major war 1978 – No major war 1979 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan) 1980 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan) 1981 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), First Gulf of Sidra Incident 1982 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon 1983 – Cold War (Invasion of Grenada, CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Lebanon 1984 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua), Conflict in Persian Gulf 1985 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua) 1986 – Cold War (CIA proxy war in Afghanistan and Nicaragua) 1987 – Conflict in Persian Gulf 1988 – Conflict in Persian Gulf, U.S. occupation of Panama 1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra Incident, U.S. occupation of Panama, Conflict in Philippines 1990 – First Gulf War, U.S. occupation of Panama 1991 – First Gulf War 1992 – Conflict in Iraq 1993 – Conflict in Iraq 1994 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti 1995 – Conflict in Iraq, U.S. invades Haiti, NATO bombing of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996 – Conflict in Iraq 1997 – No major war 1998 – Bombing of Iraq, Missile strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan 1999 – Kosovo War 2000 – No major war 2001 – War on Terror in Afghanistan 2002 – War on Terror in Afghanistan and Yemen 2003 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, and Iraq 2004 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2005 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2006 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2007 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen 2008 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2009 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2010 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen 2011 – War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen; Conflict in Libya (Libyan Civil War)

President Barack Obama repeated the now infamous words of George W. Bush, declaring: “We are at war…” Yes, and we have been, ever since 1776.

Danios was the Brass Crescent Award Honorary Mention for Best Writer in 2010 and the Brass Crescent Award Winner for Best Writer in 2011.

Update I:

It goes without saying that I am not arguing that all of America’s wars listed above were wars of aggression and therefore unjustified–but arguably the vast majority of them were.

Update II:

To put this into greater perspective, Iran has not invaded a country since 1795, which was 216 years ago. (h/t LW’s Ilisha)

Footnotes:

[1] Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States, p.297

[2] Steuter, Erin. At War with Metaphor, p.43

[3] Chomsky, Noam. Deterring Democracy, p.34

[4] Mraz, John. Looking for Mexico, p.60

[5] Ching, Erik. Reframing Latin America, p.228

[6] Ibid.