By Walt Zlotow
On the 25th 9/11 anniversary we should also ponder victims and cost of America’s War on Terror – designed and implemented to reshape the Middle East in America’s image in response to and revenge for the attacks.
Estimates from the Brown University Costs of War project place the toll at 4.5–4.7 million people since 2001, including ~940,000 direct deaths (combatants, civilians, journalists, aid workers) and 3.6–3.8 million indirect deaths from disease, malnutrition, and health complications.
U.S. military and contractor deaths: About 7,074 U.S. military deaths and 8,189 contractor deaths
Costs according to warcosts.org
Total cost: $8+ trillion since 2001
Breakdown:
- Direct military operations: ~$3.2 trillion.
- Pentagon budget increases: ~$1.8 trillion.
- Veterans care (projected through 2050+): ~$2.2 trillion.
- Homeland Security expansion: ~$1.1 trillion.
- Interest on war debt: ~$1.1 trillion
On 9/11 Remembrance Day Americans should urge its government to turn away from senseless war whether it be against Iran, Venezuela, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, Cuba, little unarmed boats plying the Caribbean or other locals we’re not informed of. That would be a noble way to honor the victims of the senseless violence perpetrated on America 25 years ago today.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL
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Totally agree with you Walt and not bloody likely.
Quite frankly I am sick and tired of the persistent tripe and dribble on our Australian TV screens, mainstream corporate and social media every year for 25 years and in between on the World Trade Centre Twin Towers event re-hash, and the constant drift in political analysis and American propaganda.
Yesterday, one Australian media outlet, might have been the Australian or Network 10 were purporting that in 2001 we were all thinking we were witnessing World War 3. What a load of inflated retrospective crap. We were witnessing a profound and treacherous terrorist attack, and as horrifying as it was, no-one I recollect or in the media were framing it as an outbreak of WW3 at the time. It is this gross misrepresentation and lie that distorts the record, history, sensationalising this 25 years later to justify or twist our minds that America’s war on the rest of the world ever since has been in anyway remotely justified. This is what normalises vengeance, illegal wars, crimes against humanity and genocide now routinely practiced by countries like the USA and Israel; and if they can get away with it why not others?
I have no interest in being aggressively bombarded and subjected to the US fucked up narrative of ‘poor us’ when we are faced with atrocities in the world perpetrated by America and Israel, and with America’s blessing and military support and supply of weapons of mass destruction, and State sponsored terrorism in other countries around the world.
All our TV channels including the ABC and SBS carried this pernicious reminder and combative theme in the past week, but the worst were Ten and 7/Prime. No doubt Sky also but I never watch their perverse crap. If the USA want to fly an army of drones to mimic the Twin Towers on US screens so be it, but don’t bloody well celebrate it on our TV screens in Australia, while simultaneously conducting genocide across the Middle East, chest thumping like political apes and holding the rest of the world to ransom with trade wars, tariffs, military air and naval displays blocking the straits of Hormuz, and blaming every other country for the shit America sheds on itself and everyone else – ‘we’ whoever we are, are not to blame for America’s domestic or foreign policy, that badge solely belongs to America.
The USA is a malicious toxic pimple on humanity, a rampant red-necked political and corporate bully unable to protect its own citizens from guns manufacturers, military mercenaries and the excessive abuse of its own politicians, government exploitation, corruption and moral bankruptcy.
While we wait to see if America can be bought again by a fist full of laundered dollars.