why do americans take deaths so lightly?

Question

no matter how many people will die in iraq, americans just kind of shrug it off, like oh well, it's war, well would americans take war and death more seriously if the united states was invaded and suffered hundreds of thousands if not millions of civilian casulties?

Answer 1

That's simple. Iraqi's are not Americans.

Answer 2

There are some Americans who don't take it lightly at all, no matter whose deaths we're talking about. Some of us grieve for not only lost American youth, but also the families of so many Iraqis who have lost generations and more in a matter of hours or days.

The problem is that we Americans are conditioned from birth to believe that if it doesn't happen on American soil, it's probably not very important. And the American government would never do anything bad to anyone, anywhere. They'd never make choices that would put financial gain over human suffering. And because we're conditioned so strongly like that, we can be slapped in the face repeatedly with the evidence (Abu Ghraib, Haditha, Fallujah, the outing of Valerie Plame, the NSA spying on Americans, etc.) and continue to deny that our leaders would ever do anything wrong.

Answer 3

I'd love to see the documentation that shows that Americans take death lightly. I am an American and one of the most wonderful things about my country, is that my government not only respects life, it passes laws and policies that serve to protect life. I'm not even going to talk about abortion because this isn't about that topic. I'm talking about basic human rights...the right to live and love. Do you really think the only reason we invaded Afghanistan was because of the terrorist cells? No...it was human suffering that we were trying to end. Do you realize that America has the capacity to literally blow away the country of Iraq with just a few MOABs...(mother of all bombs)? Are we using them? No, because we realize how many billions of lives, good and bad, that would be lost. Instead of asking stupid questions, why don't you do a little research. I'm sure there are thousands of American moms that have sons and daughters in Iraq that, if given the choice, would say drop the bomb and send my kid home.

Answer 4

We don't shrug off death. However war is not a tea party, people die and that is the reality of it. Maybe we just don't react to it the way everyone thinks we should, and that is bothersome to you.

Civilians by a thousand or two die here every day, whether accidentally or intentionally. I suppose if all of them were to die in a small area at the same time, it would be upsetting.

Answer 5

I don't know many Americans who take death lightly. I have lost many close to me over the years and each death has hit me hard. The senseless deaths cause by war are no less heartbreaking; So are the deaths dealt to the Iraqi and Iranian people by their own leaders. I have friends who fled their country so as not to be killed by their leaders. Generalizing that all people of a country are a certain way is NOT a good thing. Saying ALL Americans take death lightly would be like saying ALL Iraqis or Iranians loved Sadam Hussein or The Ayatollah Khomeini.

Answer 6

Americans {and others} are bombarded by TV news and newspapers and cell phone news and News where ever we go.
You are dulled by the non-stop bombardment of things that go on in the world.
What sells a newspaper?? Nobody would buy it if it said "Boyscout helps little old lady across the street", BUT, if you put "one thousand die" across the headline.... people will buy it.
Why do you think people slow down at an accident? To look and stare.

Plus, we have an internal war going on in the streets of America every day and it claims many civilian lives.

Answer 7

It's because americans are often biased like this: "If somebody I don't like dies, I couldn't care less. If somebody I like dies, then OMG!" Of course they would take it more seriously if it was happening to them. It's because the U.S is so spoiled, we can manipulate it so that people don't fight the war here, they only fight it there. Pearl Harbor is one of the biggest battles in recent history (ignoring civil war) and it's so infamous with it's deaths and destruction! I bet if you go to Korea, or Vietnam, or Iraq and ask some "average joe" over there to name all teh battles fought on his countries ground, he couldn't name only one to three. There would be too many to remember. The US is spoiled, easy.

PLUS: I'm an american, too... but I well tell you this for sure, I don't just shrug it off. I wish somebody would blame me. I wish for every shot fired in any war since I was born, something special or sacred to me disappeared. Because that's what we're doing to them. Destroying families.

PPS: Maybe nobody you know is taking this lightly, but a lot of people are. Trust me when I say, a lot of people don't even care. They don't just "shrug it off" they never had it ON to SHRUG off.

Answer 8

I was there. I spent six years with the grunts and I know about sacrifice. We go to war, not to "Protect Our Freedom", like the hipe says; we go to war to make sure others receive the same treatment. We fight for others so there children can go to school and that people can ride down the road without worrying about some fool blowing themselves up and them too. We push our beliefs on others that all nations should be free of tyranny but we haven't realized yet that there ways have been like this for thousands of years. We could slaughter them till we all rot and they will still continue what there doing over there now. But, it is still worth trying for. Who are we to turn a blind I on those in need? Those people, especially the women, need help, and we are giving it. There is your answer.

Answer 9

I can't believe this dribble! A better question would be why is America one of only a few countries that take death seriously. We are fighting a war against the cowardly animals who hijacked planes and ran them into building filled with innocent people. The US is tired of socialist idiots crying over dead terrorists but then who do they call when their country is hit with a natural dissaster who do they call? The USA and we answer every time even if you don't like us so PISS OFF.

Answer 10

were afraid. we believe that if you speak your mind youll be kicked to the ground and spit upon... we have no freedom of speech anymore and it hurts me to see what this world has become. also, many americans arent realising that there are other countries with other people there, and we dont realise the damage that we are doing until its too late. we would, also, go insane at the fact that a war was killing us all if we did have the war here in america. but we dont and nobody seems to care. yes. i know this sucks though.but its cool that you actually care. i appreciate that. maybe there is some hope in the US. i hope this helped. ive been looking for a question like this all day(^_^)byebye.

Answer 11

I don't take it lightly AT ALL! I think about it everyday, not only the soldiers, but the families of the soldiers, the iraqi civilians, etc. and it seems people like you keep forgetting that insurgents from terrorist groups are strapping bombs to themselves to kill civilians and soldiers alike but want to put blame for all killings on american troops. and, in case you have forgotten, we WERE invaded and thousands of civilians WERE killed in an event known as 9/11. apparently that slipped your mind.