Several trends jump out to me from the data on foreign war casualties and perception I collected.  Globalists, advanced countries and NeoEnlightenment scholars could and have used such data as good news.  After World War II the civilized casualties from foreign wars have decreased.  

Having faith in civilized progress based on decreasing war casualties needs a little tempering.  World War II occurred only eighty years ago, with the most casualties of any war in history.  Though global violence decreased since the cold war ended, since 2014 that violence has risen again.

Belief that civilization makes humanity more cooperative and less violent needs more proof than eighty years of declining war casualties.  Maybe globalists and NeoEnlightenment scholars don’t need no further stinkin’ proof that civilization improves or saves humanity. History will.  History will need to deal with the ratio of civilian to military casualties increasing steadily in foreign wars.

If unaffected by groupthink, most people would believe that an increased ratio of civilian war casualties is wrong.  We certainly believe that to be wrong in the case of terrorism.  Yet once a superpower believes that “might makes right” other principles of right and wrong suffer.  So, too, does a nation’s character.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth boasted in a press conference that our attack on Iran “is not a fair fight.”  He declared we will continue to “kick them when they are down.”  Pretend you heard a neighbor boast such things about treating people he/her did not like.  What would you think of that neighbor’s character?  Among other things you would think you have a cowardly neighbor lacking principles.

Now imagine what other countries think of our boasts to “shock and awe” overwhelmed enemies. Or to “kick them when they are down?”  “Might makes right” clouds a superpower’s vision.  “Uncivilized” views of right and wrong renders us as a cowardly nation with leaders lacking such principles.  The civilian casualty data supports their view of us.

I have four close family members who served in four different military branches and three different wars, starting with World War II.  Until now they served under the auspices of the Defense Department, with at least an outward premise of defending principles.  Now we have a War Department with a premise of “might makes right.”  I pray to God we replace current military leadership before they turn the rank and file of people I love. May the rest of us resist being as cowardly and unprincipled as the “tough guy” persona that Secretary of War Hegseth embraces.

Next up:  Media and perceptions of foreign wars.