Shocking statistics on US soldier suicides

by Aragon Sun Nov 18, 2007 17:54

"Maybe Katz right. Maybe there is no epidemic. Maybe it’s perfectly normal for young men and women to return from combat, sink into inconsolable depression, and kill themselves at greater rates than they were dying on the battlefield. Maybe it’s normal for the Pentagon to abandon them as soon as soon they return from their mission so they can blow their brains out or hang themselves with a garden hose in their basement. Maybe it's normal for politicians to keep funding wholesale slaughter while they brush aside the casualties they have produced by their callousness and lack of courage. Maybe it is normal for the president to persist with the same, bland lies that perpetuate the occupation and continue to kill scores of young soldiers who put themselves in harm’s-way for their country. "

by MichaelY - iawm Sun Nov 18, 2007 18:54

Thanks for posting the above figures and the CBS link Aragon.
If my maths is right 120 suicides a week mean more than 17 people committing suicide EVERY DAY of the week for a whole year.
It's going to take any rational person quite a few hours to understand and appreciate the implication of that.
I an dumbstruck.....we must make sure that the Irish printed and electronic media are made aware of these figures......

by Liam Mon Nov 19, 2007 02:45

Several things are wrong with those facts.

One, US DoD only would be tracking "Active Duty, Reserve" members, not Veterans who have left the forces. Therefore the DoD could indeed be correct in their numbers of suicide among those serving. The VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) would be the group which would have tracked suicides among those who have left the Forces, If they even have all Pertinent Information.

According to US Census Figures:

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/national_securit...airs/

In 2005 there were 24.5 Million Veterans alive. so your suicide rates arent as high as Infoclearing house makes them to be

by Aragon Mon Nov 19, 2007 09:57

The suicide rates are more than double the normal rates for Veterans. Several things are interesting about that. Firstly its clear that suicide rates among that group are a massive cause for concern ordinarily and something that many people may not realise. That's not a situation that we should accept as rational or acceptable.

Secondly, when a situation that is already bad becomes dire, then we ought to be aware of it. Do recruiting sargeants tell the new recruits that they have a massively increased likelihood of comitting suicide - that it in fact is far greater than the risk of losing life in combat?

The officiall mortality rate for US military personnel is over 4,000. We now discover that this figure ignores all of the suicides they knew to expect AND a huge number of additional suicides that dwarfs the 4,000 - an additional 11,000 men and women having taken their own lives.

These are repulsive figures.

But we have a precedent for the indifference - over 1.2 million reliably estimated to have died in Iraq since the war began. US soldiers are being treated with the exact same indifference and contempt as their victims in Iraq. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the bereaved on both sides were to unite in challenge to this slaughter.

by Miriam Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:49

Other reports on this issue from sourcewatch:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraq_Coaliti...cides

by James Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:58

"US soldiers are being treated with the exact same indifference and contempt as their victims in Iraq. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the bereaved on both sides were to unite in challenge to this slaughter."

I'm not sure the soldiers are being treated with such contempt. A lot of them don't want to be there and there is a degree of symapthy for them being sent to fight a war that many want no part in.

I wonder if there are any on Lariam...

by Liam Mon Nov 19, 2007 18:13

My Point boyo?

Simply that Your supposition that the Casualty rate for the war in Iraq/Afghanistan is higher is complete Bollocks. Again for the Obtuse, Do you count suicides from the world wars veterans years later as combat casualties? No of course not. Unless the suicides happens in Uniform(meaning for the Obtuse, while on Active Service). You can or cannot accept that, I dont care really. Your not a Yank, and have no tangible way of stopping that problem. Most here consider Yank Soldiers to be war criminals in their postings anyway, the sudden concern is hypocritical.

Do You have a Greater risk of dying in Shinner controlled Pubs would it be equally Toss?

And it is an additional 11,000 out of the 24.5 Million Living Veterans, that includes world war two, korea, vietnam, persian gulf war, grenada, panama, etc. and in point of fact , the Yanks consider anyone who has served 2 or more years honorably in the forces to be a Veteran. That 11,000 works out as a Percentage: 0.04583333333333333% of their Veteran Population as a whole.

"These are repulsive figures." you say, true enough, I give you that. What can you do about it? absolutely nothing, neither can I. This is just more of the same anti-yank tabloid style headlines without reasoned thought behind it that infest Indymedia.

by MichaelY - iawm Mon Nov 19, 2007 18:27

Aragon's figures came straight from a CBS documentary which was researched over 45 US States.
CBS is hardly an anti_yank psychosis infested media organisation.
Instead of attacking the messenger, be it CBS or Aragon in this case, think for a minute.
In 2005 120 young people, from 20-32 years old, all war veterans of, one supposes, recent combat experience, yes 120 committed suicide EVERY WEEK, during the whole year. That is over 17 people every single day.
We are not talking here neither of Korea, nor Vietnam, nor Panama, nor Granada.
To dismiss this epidemic as "hypocritical concern" is codswallop.....it's a reflection of the same attitude shown by the HSE and Drumm re: the recent cancer epidemic.
Don't know what hole you have scrambled out from Liam, but do us all a favour and crawl right back.
You will be in good company with a set of other variants of warmongering snakes.

by Seamus Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:59 twtone at lycos dot com

In fairness to Liams posting about the hypocrisy of anti war people having concern for suicide rates among US troops, I can see his point. On reading the article I admit that I feel no real concern for any dead US troop whether it be at the hands of insurgents in any of the many countries they occupy by force or by their own hands.

Its a tragic loss and waste of human life that we have a system that turns young men and women into killing machines. Its not so surprising that they can end up turning on themselves. If they are dead then they cant be out killing anyone else for US neo cons so is it not a good thing?

After seeing how US troops abuse, bully, and murder people every where they go I have scant sympathy for them why they die. I just feel sorry for their familes. They are still someones child at the end of the day same as their victims. The real loss is to humanity.

S

by Aragon Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:29

The poor and disenfranchised in the US are being actively targetted by US recruiting sargeants - the cynicism and contempt is blatant. Their lives are clearly regarded as being more expendible The US government believes it can afford to loose them, their important political constituency will not complain. They have calculated that they are likely to be able to get away with this for longer than they would if they introduced the draft - which would spread the responsibility equally across the whole country. Political suicide to do that though. Young unemployed black people are sought out and there is a disproportionate number of them among the lower ranks. In a culture where people are surrounded by so much screaming, racist xenophobia - it must be very hard not feel you have to go along with it.

by MichaelY - iawm Tue Nov 20, 2007 14:30

Dear Seamus,

Have read your message and I think I understand where you're coming from....some of these issues were discussed and kicked around when Brit soldiers lost their lives in the 6 Counties.
My, and the iawm's, position on this issue is clear: Our opposition is with the imperialist policy of the US elites - their illegal and barbaric invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. And the collaboration of the Irish Gvt by allowing and facilitating the use of Shannon Airport.
We are all aware that the price being paid is primarily on the part of the Iraqi people and, at a second level, by working class US citizens, women and men, who get killed not only in the battlefield but also when they get home and commit suicide. Those young men and women are as much victims of the Bush Admin's policies as the Iraqis.....
It is essential that we show our solidarity and support to the soldiers and their families....that's what we learnt, those of us of a certain age, from the Vietname experience. This is why we argue consistently that our struggle is not anti-American, not against the American people, and most certainly not against the young men and women who are used as cannon fodder.
It is Liam's arguments above that reek of hypocricy.....he does not believe, or pretends he doesn't believe, the figures are right....and even if they were, he cares not an inch. That's an orthodox pro-war stance. And, as such, it must be politically countered.

Anti war not anti American!!

by Braim Scholmondley Wed Feb 13, 2008 22:08

Don't most of you bog micks believe that all Americans, military and civilian are war criminals? This news should be a delight to all of you.

by MichaelY - iawm Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:52

In case you missed this sentence from my message above:

[Pls read c a r e f u l l y and veeeerrrryyyy S L O W L Y letting it sink in]:

It is essential that we show our solidarity and support to the soldiers and their families....that's what we learnt, those of us of a certain age, from the Vietname experience. This is why we argue consistently that our struggle is not anti-American, not against the American people, and most certainly not against the young men and women who are used as cannon fodder.

The IAWM is organising a 'WORLD AGAINST WAR' meeting tomorrow Friday Feb 15th at 7.30 pm in Dublin's Royal Dublin Hotel. Speakers are Mira Dabit, a Palestinian activist, an Egyptian academic and the IAWM's venerable Chairperson Richard Boyd Barrett.

All welcome.

by Blake - Anomie Sun Jan 27, 2013 15:48

Aaron all those years back to 2006 describes the descent into hell ie human depression or war at its very worst.

What is so disturbing about 2013 is that we know now that in the US that more die each year as a result of suicide as distinct from armed combat. This is shameful.

War is upon us in Northern Africa now with Mali equating to its Afghanistan and the French our main EU partner has intervened....

Scary times ahead surely - Syria and refugees to neighbouring countries, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, we know of those murdered, we know about the drones but how many people within these states opt for suicide, which is never going be recorded. Suicide is Anomie and Durkheim is worth reading.