1. Estimates of the number of American Indians killed by the U.S. government range from 1 to 4 million. The first estimate was sponsored by the United States government, and, while official, does not stand up to scrutiny and is therefore generally discounted. The second study was not sponsored by the U.S. government but was done by independent researchers. This study estimated populations and population reductions using later census data. The figure was at least 10 million. Two figures are given, both low and high, at between 10 and 14 million.

2. Since the end of World War II, U.S. military forces were directly responsible for approximately 10 to 15 million deaths during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the two Iraq wars. The Korean War also includes Chinese deaths, while the Vietnam War also includes fatalities in Cambodia and Laos.

There also are proxy wars for which the United States is responsible. In these wars, there were between 9 million and 14 million deaths in Afghanistan, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Guatemala, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sudan.

But the victims are not just from big nations or one part of the world. The remaining deaths were in smaller ones, which constitute over half the total number of nations. Virtually all parts of the world have been the target of U.S. intervention.

The overall conclusion reached is that the United States most likely has been responsible since WWII for the deaths of between 20 million and 30 million people in wars and conflicts scattered over the world.

To the families and friends of these victims it makes little difference whether the causes were U.S. military action, proxy military forces, the provision of U.S. military supplies or advisers, or other causes, such as economic pressures applied by our nation. They had to make decisions such as finding lost loved ones, whether to become refugees, and how to survive. (James A. Lucas, Global Research, April 15, 2018)

3. During the war with North Korea (1950-1953), U.S. military forces killed 1.8 million people (20 percent of the 9.726 million population in 1950). U.S. combat deaths were 33,000, so the ratio is 55 to 1. It destroyed 75 percent of North Korea’s cities and villages, including 75 percent of the capitol, Pyongyang. The U.S. dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs on Korea, including 32,557 tons of napalm. By comparison, 503,000 tons were dropped in the Pacific theater during World War II, and 864,000 tons were dropped on North Vietnam.

4. The Vietnam War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. There were 3.8 million violent war deaths, of which 2 million were civilian. The U.S. dropped over 7 million tons of bombs (flown in 3.4 million U.S. and South Vietnamese sorties) on Indochina during the war—more than triple the 2.1 million tons of bombs the U.S. dropped on Europe and Asia during all of World War II, and more than 10 times the amount dropped by the U.S. during the Korean War. Five hundred thousand tons were dropped on Cambodia, 1 million tons were dropped on North Vietnam, and 4 million tons were dropped on South Vietnam. On a per capita basis, the 2 million tons dropped on Laos make it the most heavily bombed country in history, amounting to a ton for every person there. The amount of ammunition fired per soldier was 26 times higher than in World War II.

Climbing Out of the Abyss

So, you see, we are a warfare state, and are hopelessly addicted to war. What can we do to end this madness?

We the People of the United States, in Order to assure a non-violent and humane world society, do create a Department of Peace to establish Justice, Liberty and the General Welfare of all.

The Department of Defense, as decades of history show, is a euphemism for Department of War. By contrast, a Department of Peace would be dedicated to the resolution of conflicts by exhaustive, peaceful, nonviolent, non-threatening means, rather than by the use or threats of force if “irresolvable” impasses in negotiations ultimately occur. In short, let’s agree to disagree and coexist without killing each other.

A national commitment is essential in order to transform our horrendous, astronomical, waste-infested war economy to one that fulfills the multitude of severely neglected needs of the people.

A future outlay of at least $23.374 trillion (= military/national debt spending for the 19-fiscal-year period 2001 to 2019) would go a long way in providing the trillions of dollars to pay for:

• Free tuition for every enrolled post-secondary student.

• Free job training for anyone who seeks employment.

• Rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of America.

• Medicare for all citizens.

• Free internet service for all households.

• Free mass transit for all urban regions.

• Free U.S. Postal Service.

• Conversion from fossil fuel usage to clean energy sources (i.e., wind, solar).

• Restoration and creation of national parks, wilderness areas, and national monuments with free access to all.

•Establish regulations for organic farming and the elimination of harmful pesticides.

This long-overdue transformation would enable all to thrive and enjoy the benefits of a much more humane society.

Are you ready to start?

If not now, when?