Sunday, October 19, 2008

Interesting Statistics - An Eye Opener

Military Losses, 1980 thru 2007

Whatever your politics, however you lean, and however you feel about the current administration, this report should open some eyes.

As tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, consider the following statistics: The annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2006 - by any cause.

1980 ………. 2,392 (Carter Year)
1981 ………. 2,380 (Reagan Year)
1984 ………. 1,999 (Reagan Year)
1988 ………. 1,819 (Reagan Year)
1989 ……….. 1,636 (George H W Year)
1990 ………. 1,508 (George H W Year)
1991 ………. 1,787 (George H W Year)
1992 ………. 1,293 (George H W Year)
1993 ……… 1,213 (Clinton Year)
1994 ……… 1,075 ( Clinton Year)
1995 ………. 2,465 ( Clinton Year)
1996 ………. 2,318 ( Clinton Year)
1997 ………. 817 ( Clinton Y ear)
1998 ……… 2,252 ( Clinton Year)
1999 ………. 1,984 ( Clinton Year)
2000 ……….1,983 ( Clinton Year)
2001 …………. 890 (George W Year)
2002 ………. 1,007 (George W Year)
2003 ……… 1,410 (George W Year)
2004 ……… 1,887 (George W Year)
2005 …………. 919 (George W Year)
2006………….. 920 (George W Year)
2007…………. 899 ( George W Year )

Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,107 deaths
George W years (2001-2007): 7,932 deaths

If you are surprised when you look at these figures, so was I. These figures mean that the loss from the two latest conflicts in the Middle East are LESS than the loss of military personnel during Bill Clinton’s presidency; when America wasn’t even involved in a war! (Unless you include Bosnia or the disgrace of Mogadishu , Somalia when Clinton failed to respond to terrorists. Remember ‘Black hawk Down’?)

And, I was even more shocked when I read that in 1980, during the reign of President (Nobel Peace Prize winner) Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities! From what? How?

I think that these figures indicate that many members of our media and our politicians will pick and choose the information on which they report. Of course we all know that they present only those ‘facts’ which support their agenda-driven reporting.

But why do so many of them march in lock-step to twist the truth? Where do so many of them get their agenda? Obviously there is one shared agenda. Could it be from the most powerful Democratic family of the decade?

Do you want further proof? Consider the latest census of Americans. It shows the following FACTS about the distribution of American citizens, by race:

European descent …………………69.12%
Hispanic……………………………….12.5%
Black ………………. ……………….12.3%
Asian…………………………………… 3.7%
Native American……………………….1.0%
Other…………………………………….2.6%

Many media lead us to feel the military death ratio is off balanced compared to the distribution by race in America .. Here are the fatalities by RACE over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom. Do the comparison yourse lf .

European descent (white) …….74.31%
Hispanic……………………………..10.74%
Black ………………………………..9.67%
Asian……………………………….. 1.81%
Native American………………….. 1.09%
Other………………………………… 0.33%

I was surprised again. Our mainstream media continues to spin these figures (for political gain). Nothing more. It’s all about politics. I hope that during the time between now and November, intelligent Americans can decipher the facts from the spin, the spinners from the leaders, those who seek even more power from those that seek justice, and the dividers from the uniters.

Over the next weeks let’s be good listeners and see and hear who tries to divide our nation; and who wants to unite our nation. Who wants to control how our money is spent and who wants our money spent the way we would spend it. Who seeks po w er and who seeks justice? Who spins the facts and who is genuine.

These statistics are published by Congressional Research Service, and they may be confirmed by anyone at:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf;

‘History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid.’

Dwight D. Eisenhower

3 comments:

Citizen Warrior said...

These are some good stats. In sharp contrast to what most people believe. Good stuff. Very useful.

Pastorius said...

Where were all these people dying under Carter and Clinton?

Tuskeegee-like experiments?

;-)

Noel said...

I read your item with interest, and like pastorius I wondered where these deaths occured as well. That caused me to go to the report cited, and read it.
When I compare Table 5 in the report to the list of deaths I see your list has overstated the deaths in the Clinton years in 1995, 96, 98, 99 and 2000 by about 6600. The deaths during Bush's term are underreported in 2003, 2005 and 2006 by about 2150.

Even with these corrections (I discounted your number for 2007 as the report did not have it) Those that died during Clinton's term are about 7500 compared to 9180 under Bush from 2001 through 2006. Very strange that they should be so close when WJC never was in a "hot war" the whole time.

I also note the number of deaths due to accident has decreased significantly since the 80's. The armed forces in the US were sure not a safe work site back then!