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The US Government is taking us for suckers. Do the sums... I did.

james Moylan | 13.05.2006 10:43 | Anti-militarism | Repression | Social Struggles

I have recently spent several hours collating and considering the statistical data relating to the so-called 'War on Terror'.



So as to be sure that I am not overstating anything I have relied only on verified data released by reputable sources and supplied all the data required for you to do the sums for yourself.

the following statistics demonstrate that:
A US citizen is almost twice as likely to die from a bee sting than a terrorist.

A US citizen has a 1 in 8 609 815 of dying in a terrorist attack.

A US citizen has a 1 in 340 841 of dying in the military due to Bush's war on terrorism

A US citizen (living in the US) is 25 times more likely to die fighting terrorism than from terrorism.

The figures....

Terrorist Incidents Worldwide -: 01/01/1968 - 05/12/2006
(from MIPT Global Terrorism Database)

area incidents injuries fatalities
Africa 1021 8824 3425
East & Central Asia 204 5356 227
Eastern Europe 1325 5033 1919
Latin America & the Caribbean 3533 3753 2221
Middle East / Persian Gulf 9941 35132 16382
North America 577 4216 3565
South Asia 4355 19861 6921
Southeast Asia & Oceania 761 3864 1280
Western Europe 5376 5618 1436
totals 27093 91657 37376


Terrorist Incidents - Americans - 01/01/1968 - 05/12/2006

Country Incidents Injuries Fatalities
Canada 29 51 338
United States 548 4165 3227
totals 577 4216 3565
(includes all casualties involving Americans across the entire world)


Casualties in the Iraq war

CBC News Online | Updated May 10, 2006
since the beginning of hostilities on March 20, 2003
Total U.S. military deaths: 2425


US Population

2005 2000 1990
296,410,404 281421906 248709873

North American Mainland deaths from terrorism

1995 - 196
1996 - 0
1997 - 2
1998 - 1
1999 - 3
2000 - 3
2001 - 2987
2002 - 3
2003 - 3
2004 - 0
2005 - 0
2006 - 0
average for ten years (excluding this year) = 319.8


Accidental Deaths per year on North American Mainland

(1981 to 1994)
100 on commercial flight
850 by electrical current
1000 on a bicycle
1452 by accidental gunfire
3000 by complications to medical procedures
3600 by inhaling or ingesting objects
5000 by fire
5000 by drowning
5300 by accidental poisoning
8000 as pedestrians
11,000 at work
12,000 by falls
22,500 at home
46,000 in auto accidents


ODDS of dying from:

Cardiovascular disease: 1 in 2
Smoking (by/before age 35): 1 in 600
Car trip, coast-to-coast: 1 in 14,000
Bicycle accident: 1 in 88,000
In the military due to Bush's war on terrorism: 1 in 340 841 (my figure)
Tornado: 1 in 450,000
Train, coast-to-coast: 1 in 1,000,000
Lightning: 1 in 1.9 million
Bee sting: 1 in 5.5 million
U.S. commercial jet airline: 1 in 7 million
Terrorism: 1 in 8 609 815 (my figure)

Sources: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley
This article along with links to all information sources quoted is available on: the only sane ape in the pack.


SO WHY ALL THE FUSS?
PERHAPS WE ARE BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE?
PERHAPS BUSH HAS HIS OWN REASONS FOR ENGAGING IN THIS WAR?
WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THIS SORT OF RHETORIC BEFORE?
PERHAPS BUSH IS JUST A RUN OF THE MILL FASCIST?

james Moylan
- e-mail: jamesmoylan@aapt.net.au
- Homepage: http://www.whitepage.com.au/saneape/

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