I am interested in seeing some comparative data on the civilian casualties of warfare, particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries. Are there any great analyses of this topic, perhaps on DVD, YouTube, or illustrated in books with graphs? (I have a hard time envisioning the magnitude of these things when they are presented only as bald numbers.) I started thinking about this topic after watching The Fog of War, which is a documentary about Robert McNamara. He presented some amazing comparative information about World War II and the Cold War. I would love to acquire a similar critical context for other conflicts, including the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
posted by mortaddams on May 22, 2012 - 1 answer

Of the 30,000 additional troops President Obama has now committed to sending to Afghanistan, how many will be killed or wounded? [more inside]
posted by Baby_Balrog on Dec 5, 2009 - 24 answers

Where can I find a chronological summary by month of America's Vietnam war casualites for the entire war? I've seen a few such summaries for limited years, but nothing comprehensive. Extra credit for a matching public opinion polls on support for the war.
posted by Jackson on Dec 15, 2006 - 2 answers

The figure of 1700 Americans killed in Iraq is saddening and unnecessary. We still don't know what they died for. My question, which may sound callous, is: What are the mortality rates for a comparable group of regular American citizens? In other words, if you take 150,000 people, mostly male, between the ages of eighteen and (say) forty, how many of them will die during a two and half year period? I am not attempting to minimize the casualties here, rather I am trying to argue the case against the war in the most conservative and factual way. Thank for any insights anyone can give me on this.
posted by thayerg on Jun 27, 2005 - 28 answers