The Economic and Human cost of Israel & US Empire

The human cost of post-war European global hegemony

The first half of the 60 years since World War 2 (the post-war era) initially saw Western European withdrawal from the substantially Muslim World of Africa and Asia. However in many instances the former colonial powers left behind severely damaged societies subject to European global economic hegemony and ruled by corrupt client regimes. Colonial and post-colonial maintenance of European hegemony required massive First World military interventions in wars and civil wars throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. The major players in post-war First World violence against the Third World in descending order of importance (and with their major areas of military activity in parentheses) have been the US (Africa, Indo-China, Korea, Latin America, Middle East, Central Asia), UK (Africa, South Asia, Korea, Malaysia, Middle East, Afghanistan, Argentina), France (Africa, Algeria, Indo-China), Portugal (Angola, Mozambique, West Africa) and Russia (Afghanistan and Soviet Central Asia).

The human cost of First World violence against Third World countries is best assessed by estimating avoidable mortality (technically, excess mortality) which is the difference between the ACTUAL deaths in a country and the deaths EXPECTED for a peaceful, decently-run country with the same demographics. The post-war avoidable mortality (excess mortality) has been calculated for every country in the world for the period 1950-2005 using data publicly available from the UN Population Division [1]. The post-1950 avoidable mortality has now totalled 1.3 billion for the World, 1.2 billion for the non-European World and 0.6 billion for the Muslim World – a Muslim Holocaust about 100 times greater than the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe (6 million victims) and the man-made World War 2 Bengal Famine in British-ruled India (4 million Hindu and Muslim victims). These horrendous estimates of global avoidable mass mortality are corroborated by estimates of the under-5 infant mortality component, calculated for every country in the World using UN data [1]. The post-1950 under-5 infant mortality has totalled 0.9 billion for the World with all but 25 million of this carnage occurring in the non-European World. About 90% of this appalling under-5 infant mortality has been avoidable [2].

These horrendous estimates of the human cost of post-war European global hegemony are overwhelmingly NOT reported by mainstream global media which have compounded their dishonest, unethical and racist holocaust denial by popularizing the fictions (a) that mass mortality is somehow "normal" for Third World countries; (b) that things would be even worse in the non-European World but for First World generosity; and (c) that the only mortality worth reporting is violent death. In reality, (a) the First World has imposed deadly circumstances upon the Third World that include colonialism, neo-colonial control, militarization, debt, threat, malignant interference, war, civil war, corrupt client regimes, economic constraint and economic exclusion; (b) current First World "aid" is merely a band-aid to a haemorrhaging Third World suffering from First World hegemony; and (c) the appalling global avoidable mortality (currently about 20 million people per year) is overwhelmingly due to deprivation and malnourishment-exacerbated, avoidable and treatable disease.

Scientific solutions to global problems require application of the scientific method involving critical testing of potentially falsifiable hypotheses about reality and untrammelled commitment to truth, reason and free communication. The continuing Third World Holocaust will not be stopped until its magnitude is reported and First World complicity recognized. To that end it is particularly useful to examine the human cost of the US-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine and of the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan because these violent occupations are already major daily pre-occupations of the global mainstream media. However while mainstream media daily report the violent deaths associated with these occupations, they overwhelmingly ignore the vastly greater actual human consequences of violent, racist and illegal Israeli expansionism and US "democratic imperialism" (democratic Nazism).

The economic & human cost of Israel

Mainstream media daily report every violent act in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories but overwhelmingly refuse to report the actual economic and human cost of Israel. However mainstream media have reported some estimates of the economic cost of Israel to the US. Thus Richard Curtiss of the prestigious Washington Report on Middle East Affairs has estimated the monetary cost of US aid to Israel (1949-1998) to be $85 billion, or $135 billion if interest is included [3]; the corresponding estimate (including interest) for the period 1949-2005 would be about $200 billion. Thomas Stauffer has variously estimated the ACTUAL total economic cost to the US of its support for Israel to be more than $1,600 billion since 1973 [4] and $2,600 billion since 1956 [5, 6]. However the pro-Israel Committee for Accurcacy in Middle East Reporting in America disputes these assessments [7].

The human cost of Israel can be assessed in terms of avoidable mortality (excess mortality) and under-5 infant mortality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in Israel’s neighbours and indeed in all countries that Israel has attacked militarily as summarized below. These estimates derive from UN Population Division data [1]. In relation to avoidable mass mortality in the Israeli-occupied Occupied Palestinian Territories it must be stated that the Ruler is responsible for the Ruled and hence Israeli responsibility is explicit. However the extent of Israel’s responsiblity for avoidable mass mortality in other countries it has attacked but is not actually occupying or fully occupying is a matter for debate.

The 1950-2005 avoidable mortality (and expressed as a percentage of the current population in parentheses) has been 0.1 million [1.4% of the 2005 population] (Israel), 0.7 million [17.7%] (Occupied Palestinian Territories), 19.8 million [26.5%] (Egypt), 0.6 million [11.0%] (Jordan), 0.5 million [14.2%] (Lebanon), and 2.2 million [11.8%] (Syria). Further, the 1950-2005 avoidable mortality in countries attacked but not occupied by Israel has been 5.3 million [19.9%] (Iraq), 0.8 million [13.6%] (Libya), 11.1 million [40.3%] (Uganda) and 1.6 million [15.8%] (Tunisia).

The 1950-2005 under-5 infant mortality (and expressed as a percentage of the current population in parentheses) has been 0.09 million [1.4%] (Israel), 0.3 million [7.7%] (Occupied Palestinian Territories), 14.1 million [18.9%] (Egypt), 0.3 million [5.8%] (Jordan), 0.2 million [6.3%] (Lebanon), and 1.7 million [9.2%] (Syria). Further, the 1950-2005 avoidable mortality in countries attacked but not occupied by Israel has been 3.4 million [13.0%] (Iraq), 6.3 million [22.8%] (Uganda), 0.6 million [10.9%](Libya) and 1.6 million [15.8%] (Tunisia).

The 1950-2005 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in Israel’s neighbours total 23.9 million and 16.7 million, respectively. The 1950-2005 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in all countries Israel has attacked militarily (excluding the 1967 Israeli attack on USS Liberty) total 42.6 million and 28.7 million, respectively. Threat, militarization, war and consequent economic distortion have clearly contributed to this horrendous mortality. Israel is clearly complicit in the huge avoidable mortality in its neighbours but the extent of Israel’s responsibility is debatable.

The economic & human cost of the Iraq War

The monetary cost of the War in Iraq presently totals $179 billion for the period 2003-2005 [8] but this figure does not include any interest or other economic cost components. The cost of the Gulf War (excluding the dozen years of the Sanctions War against Iraq) was $61 billion according to CNN [9] (or over $80 billion in fiscal year 2002). However it has been estimated that the ultimate cost of war against Iraq could top $1,600 billion [10, 11] and the cost of re-building Iraq could reach $550 billion [12].

The human cost of First World involvements with Iraq has to be assessed for various periods, namely the whole post-1950 era (1950-2005), the Gulf War onwards (1991-2005) and the continuing Iraq War period (2003-2005). The the total avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in Iraq have been 5.3 million and 3.4 million, respectively (1950-2005); 1.7 million and 1.2 million, respectively (1991-2005); and 0.4 million and 0.3 million, respectively (for the period 2003-2005).

The economic & human cost of the Afghanistan War

The monetary cost of the War in Afghanistan was estimated at about $3.8 billion for the first 3 months and thence $10.1 billion per year [13], yielding a current total cost of about $38 billion. However this figure does not include any interest or other economic cost components.

The human cost of the War in Afghanistan has to be assessed for various periods, namely the whole post-1950 era (1950-2005), the period since the Soviet invasion up to and including the present US occupation (1979-2005) and the continuing US-led Afghanistan War (2001-2005). The total avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in Afghanistan have been 16.6 million and 11.5 million, respectively (1950-2005); 8.0 million and 6.1 million, respectively (1979-2005); and 1.5 million and 1.2 million, respectively (for the period 2001-2005).

US militarism mainly kills kids

According to the very latest UN Population Division demographic data [1], in 2005 the estimated under-5 infant mortality in US-occupied Iraq and Afghanistan will total about 120,000 and 330,000, respectively, out of under 5 year old populations of 4.3 million and 5.5 million, respectively.

The very latest UNICEF report (2005) [14] estimates that in 2003 the under-5 infant mortality was 110,000 in Iraq and 292,000 in Afghanistan as compared to 1,000 in the invading and occupying Coalition country Australia (noting that in 2003 these countries had similar populations of about 25, 24 and 20 million, respectively).

The Ruler is responsible for the Ruled but careful analysis of WHO and medical literature data indicates that the annual per capita medical expenditure in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories is less than one percent (1%) of that in Metropolitan USA [15].

The latest UN demographic data show that grossly insufficient provision of life-preserving requisites by the Occupying Coalition has been associated with a post-invasion under-5 infant mortality of about 0.3 million in Iraq and 1.2 million in Afghanistan – 1.5 million in total, 0.4 million per year and about 1,000 avoidable under 5 year old infant deaths EVERY DAY. Nevertheless Anglo-American and Australian mainstream media knowingly and resolutely ignore this horrendous passive genocide [16].

Australia and the US are currently celebrating the safe release of ONE Western hostage in Iraq – but the US-led Coalition is holding about 10 million under-5 year olds hostage in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories (out of over 50 million hostages in total) and nearly HALF A MILLION of these infants are dying EACH YEAR, largely due to grossly insufficient provision of life-preserving requisites by the Occupying Coalition [2, 15]. In comparison, jihadists and Muslim insurgents have killed 5,000 Western civilians over the last 20 years. The "War on Terror" is in reality a merciless War on Muslim Women and Children.

Muslim civilian/US soldier death ratios – killing kids to win votes

The total US military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan now total 1,929 [17]. The US military deaths in the Gulf War totalled 148 [10, 11]. The total post-invasion under-5 infant mortality in US-occupied Iraq and Afghanistan (1.5 MILLION) has finally EQUALLED the number of Jewish children murdered by the Nazis during World War 2.

From the data given above we can estimate an infant/US soldier death ratio of 0.9 million/148 = 6,081 for the Gulf and Sanctions War against Iraq (1991-2003) and 1.5 million/1,929 = 778 for the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. These death ratios are extraordinarily high as compared to the World War 2 death ratio of 1.5 million murdered Jewish children/5.9 million Axis military deaths = 0.3.

Of course it is not just infants who are dying avoidably due to UK-US democratic imperialism (democratic Nazism) in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories. As outlined above, using the latest UN and medical literature data it can be readily estimated that the post-invasion avoidable mortality (excess mortality) has been about 0.4 million in Iraq and 1.5 million in Afghanistan – about 1,000 Iraqi or Afghan civilian deaths for every US military death.

Indeed it is useful to compare the enemy (Axis) civilian and military casualties of World War 2 (totalling 11 million) with the number of US military deaths (295,000) and the total number of Allied military deaths (19 million) [18]. While the ratio of enemy deaths to total Allied military deaths was 0.6, the ratio of enemy deaths to US military deaths was 37. Already by World War 2 US "industrial warfare" involved massive aerial bombing of civilian as well as military targets to minimize US military deaths.

The Korean War took 33,651 US military lives [10, 11] but the post-1950 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortalities for Korea have been 8.0 million and 4.6 million, respectively, yielding death ratios of 238 and 137, respectively. Similarly, the Indo-China War took 47,369 US military lives [10, 11] but the post-1950 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality for Indo-China have totalled 32.5 million and 13.4 million, respectively, yielding death ratios of 686 and 283, respectively.

The horrendous increases in enemy/US soldier death ratios since World War 2 reflect "improving" US military technology in 3 major areas, namely (a) the capacity to destroy civilian and military targets from the air and from afar; (b) medical advances preventing the death of wounded soldiers; and (c) sophisticated military training protocols overcoming the human instinct against killing fellow humans. Notwithstanding horrendous enemy/US death ratios, the high US military casualties in the Vietnam War impelled political pressure for the eventual withdrawal. However current US military approaches in the Middle East and Central Asia are causing horrendous civilian deaths to minimize politically-unpopular US military casualties i.e. killing Muslim kids to buy US votes.

Conclusions

Illegal war and occupation of Muslim lands by the US-led Coalition and US-backed Israeli expansionists continues to have an enormous economic and human cost. Thus the current under-5 infant mortality in the Occupied Iraqi and Afghan Territories totals about 0.4 million per year or about 1,000 avoidable infant deaths per day. However, from a global perspective both the economic and human costs of Israeli expansionism and US empire are much greater than outlined here. Thus the huge increase in the price of oil due to the Iraq War is an irritant for Western drivers but a deadly burden to Third Worlders surviving on per capita incomes of less than $1,000 per year.

Unfortunately, Anglo-American-dominated global mainstream media slavishly support US democratic imperialism (democratic Nazism) while utterly ignoring the horrendous economic and human cost of this new colonialism through unethical and dishonest non-reportage. The non-reporting by global mainstream media of horrendous avoidable mass mortality and infant mortality represents egregious holocaust denial and a major threat to humanity. Thus sensible scientific solutions to major global probems fundamentally require honest appraisal of the facts.

Respect for women and children is fundamental to decent human societies. In the face of horrendous, continuing avoidable mass mortality – including mass infant mortality (mass infanticide) – due to US democratic imperialism (democratic Nazism), decent people must respond humanely. Peace is the only way but silence kills and silence is complicity. Decent people are obliged to INFORM EVERYONE and to ACT ETHICALLY in their investment, business and social dealings with people and countries complicit in the continuing mass murder of Muslim children.

References:

[1]. United Nations, Department of Economic & Social Affairs, Population Division, "World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision Population Database" (for the latest 2004 Revision update see: http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=1 )

[2]. For detailed links to writings by Gideon Polya on avoidable global mortality consult his website (see: http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gpolya/links.html)

[3]. Richard Curtiss, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, "The cost of Israel to U.S. taxpayers: True lies about U.S. aid to Israel" (see: http://www.washington-report.org/us_aid_to_israel/index.htm)

[4]. David Francis, Christian Science Monitor, 9 December 2002, "Economist tallies swelling cost of Israel to US" (see:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1209/p16s01-wmgn.html )

[5]. Thomas Stauffer, Middle East Policy Council, Journal vol X, Spring 2003, no 1,"The cost of conflict in the Middle East, 1956-2002: What the U.S. Has Spent" (see: http://www.mepc.org/public_asp/journal_vol10/0303_stauffer.asp)

[6]. Holman Jenkins, Wall Street Journal, 8 October 2003, "Getting to know our new buddy: OPEC" (see: http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=8&x_nameinnews=
133&x_article=596)

[7]. Tamar Sternthal, Committee for Accurcacy in Middle East Reporting in America, 12 December 2004, "WSJ journalist overstates U.S. aid to Israel by almost $1 trillion (see: http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=8&x_
nameinnews=133&x_article=596)

[8]. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, 26 June 2005 (see: http://www.washington-report.org/)

[9]. CNN, "Gulf War facts" (see: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/)

[10]. William Nordhaus, "The economic consequences of war with Iraq" (see: http://www.fourthfreedom.org/pdf/Hartung_report.pdf)

[11]. William Hartung, "The hidden costs of war" (see: http://www.fourthfreedom.org/pdf/Hartung_report.pdf)

[12]. San Francisco Bay Guardian, 9 April 2003] (see: http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:GH-NQGuvPuQJ:
www.sfbg.com/37/28/cover_cost.html++%
22The+economic+consequences+of+war+with+
Iraq%22&hl=en)

[13]. House Committee on the Budget, Budget Monitor vol. 2, no. 6, 19 June 2002, "Measuring the cost of the war against terrorism" (see: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:gudUA7FS_bkJ:www.house.gov/
budget/budmon2006.htm++%22cost+of+the+war+in+afghanistan%22&hl=en)

[14]. UNICEF report, 2005 (see: http://www.unicef.org/index2.html)

[15]. Gideon Polya, Countercurrents, 11 March 2005, "Passive genocide in Iraq" (see: http://www.countercurrents.org/iraq-polya110305.htm)

[16]. Gideon Polya, News Central Asia, May 2005, "Orwellian Anglo-American War on Muslim women and children" in News Central Asia: (see: http://www.newscentralasia.com/modules.php? name=News&file=article&sid=1299)

[17]. Iraq Coalition Casualty Count (see: http://icasualties.org/oif/)

[18]. History Learning Site, UK, "Civilian casualties of World War Two" (see: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/civilian_casual ties_of_world_war.htm)