3758 U.S. troops killed in Iraq.
Countless thousands of Iraqis killed in Iraq.
At least 8 U.S. soldiers killed over Memorial Day weekend.
1 Austin soldier killed over Memorial Day weekend.
At least 650,000Iraqi civilians killed (Lancet Medical Journal, October 11, 2006); 4 million displaced (refugee crisis bigger than Darfur).
And for what? Control of oil; control of the Middle East; not to protect the American people.
100 years of senseless death and destruction:
U.S. deaths (combat and indirect consequence of war) in
Mexican American War: 13,000–clearly a colonialist war
Civil War: 600,000–begins as war for economic dominance by North, ends as war against slavery
WWI: 117,000–a completely imperialist war; no one can argue there were other motives
WW II: 400,000–originally for geopolitical dominance and colonial aims; eventually against fascism
Japanese deaths from U.S. nuclear strikes 1945: at least 200,000
Korean War: 33,000–for geopolitical dominance
Vietnam War: 58,000–for geopolitical dominance
Gulf War I: 300–for oil
Afghanistan: 390–for oil
at least 4000 civilian casualties (more than killed by the 9/11 terrorists)
Remembering those lost should never be happy, and we should mourn the deaths of others, not just Americans.