Such losses, such gains
Since the 18th century, American combat deaths have totalled about 650,000 — in a way a surprising number. Who would have thought that you could build a nation of 300 million people and keep it free and self governing for three centuries at such a price?
Please don’t misunderstand us. We’re not trying to minimize the losses; we understand, for example, that each of the 269 men from Newton, Massachusetts who died in WWII was a tragedy of heartbreak and grief to their families and friends. And combat deaths are but a fraction of total casualties in all of America’s conflicts. But it is really amazing what these proud few have procured for the many with their sacrifice. As the man said, “the United States is blessed to have such citizens.” Truly.
It’s hard not to notice today the prices that some unfree parts of the world have been paying recently. They say that deaths in Burma, with its corrupt, totalitarian regime, could easily exceed 100,000. China has had 15 million homes destroyed and 80,000 dead, including 10,000 children in rickety, substandard schools, perhaps due to “official negligence, and possibly corruption” in the Communist government. The price paid for freedom is large; apparently, the price paid for the lack of freedom can be larger still.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I think you mean “Since the 19th century”.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:36 am
No, I think he/she means 18th, but did a few miscalculations. It’s a bit more than 650000. Maybe a million or two.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:08 am
No, that’s the right number, since 1775. It’s KIA/DOW only, though. Adding the deaths from sickness would get it close to 2,ooo,ooo, maybe 170,000 or so.
Less than French deaths fighting the Germans last century. Maybe 10% of those from Russia.
We are VERY lucky.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Meanwhile, more than 35 MILLION have died from abortion since Roe v. Wade. Kinda puts it in perspective, doesn’t it?
May 30th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
The key, of course, is our geographical location on a large, self-sufficient continent separated from the other major powers of the world by two enormous oceans and without any competing nations in close proximity.
Significantly, today we are facing a “peaceful” demographic invasion, mainly from Mexico, that is changing the character of large parts of this country. The small but growing Muslim population is no minor threat either. The existential danger of our time lies in our promiscuously liberal determination to allow anyone from anywhere on earth to move to this country and change our way of life if they can.
Abraham Lincoln’s words still ring true, albeit with a different connotation:
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means
shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant,
to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe,
Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own
excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander,
could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the
Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the
approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must
spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot,
we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we
must live through all time, or die by suicide.