General Discussion

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)

19. People really ought to stop using the term 'perpetual wars'. It is historically naive

Sun Jan 8, 2012, 02:58 AM

Jan 2012

What has been going on since 2001, or 11 years, pales in comparison to history's longest wars. To wit:

19 years - Vietnam (not just our part in it)
21 years - Second Northern War - (Sweden vs Russia, Denmark/Norway & Saxony Poland)
27 years - Peloponnesian War
30 years - Thirty Years' war (Various european powers re: Catholicism vs Protestantism)
31 years - Achinese War (Dutch vs Aceh Indonesian peoples)
32 years - Wars of the Roses (English civil wars)
36 years - Civil war in Guatemala
43 years - Punic Wars (Rome vs Carthage)
51 years - Greco-Persian Wars
116 years - Hundred years war (between England and France)
--------------------------------------------------------------

Calling our wars 'perpetual' in the backdrop of this history of mankind makes one seem silly.

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America has no idea of what a disaster we created in Iraq [View all] sad sally Jan 2012 OP

Not to mention the hideous birth defects. Sabriel Jan 2012 #1

The halflife of Depleted Uranium is 400,000 years if I recall correctly. Gregorian Jan 2012 #5

Off by orders of magnitude. Igel Jan 2012 #12

That's right. It's 4 billion years. Gregorian Jan 2012 #14

So you don't mind if we store some in your closet? ret5hd Jan 2012 #58

Radioactivity is not the problem with DU. ManiacJoe Jan 2012 #13

We're only talking about ingestion. You're right. We're all correct. Gregorian Jan 2012 #15

I'm unfamiliar with this issue in Iraq. What is the source of depleted uranium in Iraq? n/t wakemewhenitsover Jan 2012 #47

Armor piercing munition. Gregorian Jan 2012 #48

Jeez. ty for the info. wakemewhenitsover Jan 2012 #52

Exactly Major Nikon Jan 2012 #59

Indeed, Ma'am: A Cock-Up Of Monumental Proportion The Magistrate Jan 2012 #2

The bigger problem is that America doesn't care. Pacafishmate Jan 2012 #3

Yes, sadly IMO that is so true. For many, the war was really out of RKP5637 Jan 2012 #8

Media AWOL in exposing Iraq War�s years of ineptitude sad sally Jan 2012 #40

Thanks, excellent article. As usual, the media fails this country miserably. RKP5637 Jan 2012 #42

+1 Solly Mack Jan 2012 #31

Glad Juan Cole is welcome at DU again. Excellent piece illustrating just how horrific... joshcryer Jan 2012 #4

K&R....God will punish us....n/t unkachuck Jan 2012 #6

A truly shameful chapter in our American history. Old and In the Way Jan 2012 #7

The Bagdad Burning Blog still exists tabatha Jan 2012 #9

and NO ONE will be held accountable Skittles Jan 2012 #10

I think about that everyday and I do mean every single day. That they got away with it. Solly Mack Jan 2012 #32

I know, I do as well Tsiyu Jan 2012 #55

meaning it can, and will, happen again Skittles Jan 2012 #63

Yep. What's to stop them? Certainly not fear of prosecution. Solly Mack Jan 2012 #66

K&R!! G_j Jan 2012 #11

K&R nt) T S Justly Jan 2012 #16

"until we Americans take responsibility for the harm we do others with our perpetual wars" WE? AnotherMcIntosh Jan 2012 #17

Useful stats fujiyama Jan 2012 #18

People really ought to stop using the term 'perpetual wars'. It is historically naive stevenleser Jan 2012 #19

When will the "War on Terror" be over? Nostradammit Jan 2012 #20

Long before the word perpetual is appropriate. nt stevenleser Jan 2012 #21

And when will that be? Nostradammit Jan 2012 #22

See post 21. (note, this will be my response going forward) nt stevenleser Jan 2012 #23

So you can't tell me when the "War on Terror" will be over? Nostradammit Jan 2012 #24

You're the one with the name Nostradammit. You tell me. P.S., see post #21 stevenleser Jan 2012 #25

It's perpetual. By design. Nostradammit Jan 2012 #30

Mighty clever. You've got a PNAC for this. Maven Jan 2012 #49

The War on Terror will be over... bvar22 Jan 2012 #37

We are referring to the "Perpetual State of WAR". bvar22 Jan 2012 #36

the death toll must be much higher barbtries Jan 2012 #26

The Lancet estimated excess deaths to be a million or so eridani Jan 2012 #27

all victims of the violence barbtries Jan 2012 #29

And THAT figure does NOT include the 1/2 MILLION children killed by the "sanctions" .... bvar22 Jan 2012 #38

This infamous video was well known in the ME cpwm17 Jan 2012 #65

Here's a site that's been documenting the death in Iraq, and no in my lifetime I don't expect sad sally Jan 2012 #39

it says 114,000 + barbtries Jan 2012 #50

War wasn't my idea. Octafish Jan 2012 #28

How right you are - ask these corporations how well they've done with war sad sally Jan 2012 #41

And I suppose they received a tax break on top those outrages profits.... midnight Jan 2012 #60

Agreed. MH1 Jan 2012 #33

You're right, it was intended to be upbeat for the military, and it's now part of the President's sad sally Jan 2012 #43

It is/was an invasion/conquest/occupation conducted solely to increase the wealth and Zorra Jan 2012 #34

This needs to be read and understood Athame Jan 2012 #35

If we are true to our creed The Wizard Jan 2012 #44

From President Obama's speech to Fort Bragg troops: sad sally Jan 2012 #45

And it won't accurately be covered in our kids school history books either NNN0LHI Jan 2012 #46

It's all so damn sad... Texasgal Jan 2012 #51

Du rec. Nt xchrom Jan 2012 #53

Umm.. It was indeed an extraordinary achievement.. Fumesucker Jan 2012 #54

I think the only thing good that came from all of it is that Saddam Hussein is gone. DCBob Jan 2012 #56

From 2003...then forward eight years later to 2011 sad sally Jan 2012 #57

The real disaster is coming... a regional ME war followed by WW3. roamer65 Jan 2012 #61

Just wait til the government falls. MilesColtrane Jan 2012 #62

A 3 way civil war may erupt,ala Lebanon but magnitudes bigger. Swede Jan 2012 #64

DU Iraq deconstruct911 Jan 2012 #67

Some of us do Bobby S Jan 2012 #68