Scott interviews David Vine about his research into the effects of America’s decades-long wars on terror. Vine and his team have recently estimated that at minimum, 37 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the war on terror, with roughly 8 million of these fleeing across international borders as refugees. He adds, moreover, that at least 800,000 people have been killed just in combat, along with probably 3–4 million more due to deprivation and destruction of infrastructure as a direct consequence of the fighting. Although immediate culpability cannot be placed at the feet of American troops for all of these dead and displaced, without question it is ultimately American policies and actions that have allowed these destructive conflicts to take place, and allow them to continue today.
Discussed on the show:
- “Millions displaced by US combat since 9/11” (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
- Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States’ Post-9/11 Wars
- “Biden says US must maintain small force in Middle East, has no plans for major Defense cuts” (Stars and Stripes)
David Vine is a professor of Anthropology at American University and the author of Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia. He also writes for the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian, among others. Follow him on Twitter @davidsvine.
This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.
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