Author Topic: War now kills more children than soldiers (Read 654 times)

Akaroa · « **on:** February 06, 2012, 01:45:42 AM »

Remember 'A bridge too far' or your favourite old WW2 war movies. They had morals and a clear sense of who was right and who was on the 'axis of evil' list. Now its not like that.

In armed conflicts since 1945, 90 per cent of casualties have been civilians compared to 50 per cent in WW2 and 10% in WW1.

3 out of 4 fatalities of war are women and children.

In the wars of the last decade, more children were killed than soldiers. Child victims of war include an estimated 2 million killed, 4 to 5 million disabled, 12 million left homeless, and more than 1 million orphaned.

""Passes a Pohutukawa flower to the next poster.""

Christian Forums and Message Board · « **on:** February 06, 2012, 01:45:42 AM »

Johnb · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:53:36 AM »

When the enemy sets up their base camp in a populated area and sends rockets and motors from those same areas and hide in civilian area and don't wear a uniform then lots of civilians get killed. The purpose of war is to blow up stuff and kill people until the enemy no longer has the will to fight. As a retired US Army guy I resent strongly the notion that our soldiers do not have the same standards. It is not just soldiers that get killed in war.
Even though there was no real military target we bombed 2 cities in Japan with the atomic bomb and it ended the war and in the long run saved lives, We used fire bombs in Germany and killed thousands.
Soldiers don't just go around shooting women and children but they are casualties of war. That is why we should not be the worlds police fore or be involved in nation building. War is ugly and brutal and if it is fought in towns and villages folks other than soldiers get killed.

Christian Forums and Message Board · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:53:36 AM »

DaveW · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:19:33 AM »

Warfare has been undergoing a constant change to become more technical and more brutal over the last 150-200 years. One of the opening battles of the US Civil War (war between the states, war of northern agression) had civilians lining the sides of the battlefield with picnic lunches and lounge chairs to watch the battle. What they got was mass mayhem and bloodshed instead of civilized lines of soldiers taking turns shooting at one another.

It is easy to minimize civilian casualties when doing a form of warfare based on Roman Phalanxes. It is entirely different when you are running a geurilla war and using civilian human shields.

Johnb · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:17:10 AM »

Christian Forums and Message Board · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:17:10 AM »

fcadcock · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:28:28 PM »

The 90% figure is a pretty fuzzy number at best. And for multiple reasons.

First off, this includes civilians killed by both sides; those killed by accident by american forces and their allies, and those killed by suicide bombers by Al Queida and it's affiliates. The few times american soldiers have targeted true civilians have been few and far between. Also, they're the ones you hear about on the news (Haditha comes to mind, even though that story isn't exactly as it was portrayed in the news).

And second, every taliban fighter and al queida member we have killed is technically a civilian. They are not members of a nations military force and do not wear uniforms. They live among the populace and often times use that fact to hide themselves behind human shields.

Yes, lots of civilians have died. And yes, that is a horrible thing. But the fact is that the number of actual civilian deaths at the hands of American or Coalition forces is a MUCH smaller number than the 90% figure.

Having been involved in both wars, I can tell you that the only difference between a civilian and an insurgent over there is usually the direction they point their gun.

Christian Forums and Message Board · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:28:28 PM »

Johnb · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:36:55 PM »

Yep. I am also getting tired of folks from other countries trying to pass judgement on us. The can kiss.....

Akaroa · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2012, 11:07:50 PM »

I think that the majority of civilian deaths have probably been in Africa where genocide seems a part of war. I don't know about Asia. I would say that very few are killed by Western nations in the grand scheme, and the eyes of the world are on western forces to a greater extent because they expect better.

""Passes a Pohutukawa flower to the next poster.""

p.rehbein · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2012, 06:43:37 AM »

Quote from: Akaroa on February 06, 2012, 11:07:50 PM

I think that the majority of civilian deaths have probably been in Africa where genocide seems a part of war. I don't know about Asia. I would say that very few are killed by Western nations in the grand scheme, and the eyes of the world are on western forces to a greater extent because they expect better.

""Passes a Pohutukawa flower to the next poster.""

..........and, in my opinion, therein lies a grave problem with the rest of the world........maybe if they "expected better" from EVERYONE, things would change?

probably not, but it is still a problem the "rest of the world" has, not ours.

Christian Forums and Message Board

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