The greatest threat to world peace (and prosperity)

Since the end of World War II, there have been 248 armed conflicts in 153 locations around the world. The United States launched 201 overseas military operations between the end of World War II and 2001 [80%], and since then, others, including Afghanistan and Iraq. During the 20th century, 190 million deaths could be directly and indirectly related to war – more than in the previous 4 centuries.

– from the study The Role of Public Health in the Prevention of War: Rationale and Competencies, published in the June 2014 American Journal of Public Health
http://scientistsascitizens.org/2014/05/15/academics-and-scientists-on-preventing-war/




From the same report: “The United States is responsible for 41% of the world’s total military spending. The next largest in spending are China, accounting for 8.2%; Russia, 4.1%; and the United Kingdom and France, both 3.6%.   If all military costs are included, annual [US] spending amounts to $1 trillion." 

Peace, which costs nothing, is attended with infinitely more advantage than any victory with all its expense.

– Thomas Paine
   From his The Rights of Man