Perpetual War

"There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."

The above quote comes from "The Art of War", attributed to Chinese general Sun Tzu.  According to Sacred Texts:

"Attributed to the legendary Chinese general, Sun Tzu, the Art of War also has a strong spiritual component. The work blends Taoism with the art of statecraft, applying concepts such as 'doing without doing' to the battlefield. Traditionally written during the Spring and Autumn period (722-481 BCE), others date it, based on historical and internal evidence, to the Warring States Period (403-221 BCE). Sun Tzu is traditionally identified with an historical figure who lived from 544-496 BCE, a general of the King of Wu. Since it first came to the attention of Westerners in the 19th century, the Art of War has influenced leaders from Napoleon to Norman Schwarzkopf. Mao tse Tung attributed it as a source of his thinking on guerilla warfare. The work is considered a masterpiece of military theory."

Written as it was some 2,500 years ago, contemporary political and military leaders, as well as citizens whose taxes pay for wars, would do well to consider the quote above.  It seems that the USA, along with the UK and other allies, have been engaged in conflict for decades.

Just looking at a list of American involvement in wars during the 20th century makes sobering reading:

      

World War I

Dates: 1914 - 1918 Where: The Atlantic Ocean and Europe How It Ended: Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. American Battle Deaths: 53,402 (approx.)

 World War II

Dates: 1939 - 1945 Where: Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands including Hawaii, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans How It Ended: Japan was the last Axis power to surrender on August 14, 1945, after the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki American Battle Deaths: 291,557 (approx.)

Korean War

Dates: 1950 - 1953 Where: North and South Korea How It Ended: The war reached a stalemate in June 1951. An armistice was finally reached on July 27, 1953. American Battle Deaths: 33,741 (approx.)

Vietnam War

Dates: 1954 - 1975 Where: Southeast Asia How It Ended: The U.S. withdrew after a ceasefire in 1973. American Battle Deaths: 47,424 (approx.)

Persian Gulf War

Dates: August 1990 - April 1991 Where: Iraq and Kuwait How It Ended: After a four-day ground war, an American-led coalition declared victory. A cease-fire agreement was signed on April 9, 1991. American Battle Deaths: 147 (approx.)

Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan

Dates: Oct. 7, 2001 (War begins with U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan, after the terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Approximately 3,000 civilians and members of the military died as a result of the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.) - Conflict continues... Where: An effort to combat terrorism world-wide begins in Afghanistan. American Deaths in Afghanistan: more than 670 as of April 30, 2009

Iraq War

Dates: March 19, 2003 - Conflict continues... Where: Iraq American Deaths: more than 4,250 as of April 30, 2009

 Source: http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-timeline-of-americas-wars-20th-century

What is the true cost of such prolonged warfare?

In monetary terms, US wars since 2001 have cost almost $1,400,000,000,000 and is still rising (source here).

As for the Human cost, taking service men and women alone:

"One in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - about 300,000 veterans to date. The social and economic costs of PTSD are immense. First-year treatment alone costs the government $8,300 per person, or more than $2 billion so far. And suicides among active-duty military personnel averaged one per day in 2012. Veterans now account for 20 percent of suicides in the US, with the youngest (24 and under) taking their lives at four times the rate for other veteran age groups."

Source: Huffington Post

Here is an interesting graphic showing the financial cost of war:

New Perspective on Cost of War

According to studies, the human cost of the Afghan war is 20,000 killed and 49,000 seriously injured.  In Iraq, 900,000 killed and 1,691,000 seriously injured.  We can never be sure if these figures are accurate.

Can we afford perpetual war?

What must we do to put an end to war and return to peace and prosperity?