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Anatomy of a Half-Ass Educated Vote

I had written a very long and involved blog entitled: Anatomy of A Half-Assed Vote.  It outlined the areas that were important to me and how I thought both candidates would respond to those issues.  I studied and did my homework (you'll have to take my word for it)  and was prepared to let you know how I voted.  I am not an ideologue: I have voted over both party lines through the years.  I voted once for Bush and voted once for Obama.  I wasn't old enough but I would have voted for George McGovern like most young kids tired of Vietnam.

However, the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced that it was just more personal political blather.  After a terribly long election season, with vitriol from both sides, weak candidates, big issues being swept under the rug for political expediency, I canned it and threw it all away.  I'm sick of it and I'm sure you are too.  Hey, we all know taxes have to be raised to end the deficit and pay the bills.  We all know Social Security and Medicare must remain solvent.  We all know we have to have a strong military.

What most of us don't know is that nothing too major happens from election to election.  You have the check and balance (and stagnation) of Congress and ALL Presidents if they want to get re-elected must govern from a centrist-moderate position.  For all his mistakes, Obama has been a moderate centrist.  Romney, for all his Tea Party affiliations would govern as a moderate centrist.  Them's the facts.  Look it up.

I have decided instead to not show you my ballot that I filled out right after the third debate.  The ballot below is before I voted so no need to enlarge click.  You won't see my mark.  There was a time I gladly told anyone who I voted for.  I was usually proud of it, and didn't get a lot of pushback from folks.  Not today.  The electorate today is more like the rabid "walkers" on a TV show that want to eat you if they see you.  Tell folks who you voted for and you are likely to get disgusted grief, an argument or maybe even de-friended.




The long, convoluted Florida ballot. 


The voting on the other side that surely will slow things down at the polling place.  Already there are reports voting is taking seven hours in places around the state.  The back side consists of 11 amendments, not to mention several judgeships on the front.


Instead let me simply give you the reasons for voting today.


War or ConflictDateTotal US DeathsWoundedTotal Dead
& Wounded
MissingSources & Notes
CombatOtherTotal
American Revolutionary War1775–17838,00017,00025,00025,00050,000
Northwest Indian War1785–17951056+1056+825+1881+[1][2][3]
Quasi-War1798–180020494[4]51442556[4][5]
First Barbary War1801–180535397464138[6][7][8][9]
Other actions against pirates1800–190036158+[10]194+100+294+[5][11][12][b]
Chesapeake–Leopard Affair18073031821[5]
War of 18121812–18152,260~17,000~20,0004,505~25,000[13]
Marquesas Expedition1813–18144437[7]
Second Barbary War18154134[14]13810148[15]
First Seminole War1817–181847473683[16]
First Sumatran Expedition1832221113[5]
Black Hawk War183247258[17][18]30585390[19]
Second Seminole War1835–184232812071535[20]
Mexican–American War1846–18481,73311,55013,2834,15217,435[21]
Cayuse War1847-18564014174115[22]
Rogue River Wars1851-18561906196293489[23]
Yakima War1855-18563223492126[24]
Third Seminole War1855–185826262753[25]
Coeur d'Alene War185836366096[26]
Civil War: total1861–1865212,938~625,000[c][not specific enough to verify]
Union168,496268,916437,412338,226775,638
Confederate figures include women and children87,028~312,000
Dakota War of 1862
(Little Crow's War)
186270–11370–113150220–263[27][28][29][30]
Shimonoseki Straits18634–5[5][31]04–56[5]10[5][31]
Snake Indian War1864–18683030128158[24]
Indian Wars1865–18989191,025[21]
Red Cloud's War1866–1868126126100226[32][33][34]
Korea (Shinmiyangyo)187133912[35]
Modoc War1872–1873565688144[36][37]
Great Sioux War1875–1877314314211525[38][39]
Nez Perce War1877134134157291[40][41]
Bannock War1878120122234[42][43]
Ute War1879150155267[42][44]
Sheepeater Indian War1879111011[42]
Samoan crisis1887-18890626262[45]
Ghost Dance War1890–189135356499[46][47]
Sugar Point
Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians
189870716230[48]
Spanish–American War18983852,0612,4461,6224,068[21]
Philippine–American War1898–19131,0203,1764,1962,9307,126[21]
Boxer Rebellion1900–190168631312043350[49]
Santo Domingo Affair190410123[5]
United States occupation of Nicaragua1910, 1912-1925, 1927-19339069159290449[50][51]>[52]
Mexican Revolution1914–191912061181319500[53]
Occupation of Haiti1915–19341013814826+184+[5][54]
World War I1917–191853,40263,114116,516204,002320,5183,350[21][d]
North Russia Campaign1918–1920424[55]
American Expeditionary Force Siberia1918–192016016832852+380+[56]
China1918; 1921; 1926–1927; 1930; 193757883[50]
World War II1941–1945291,557113,842405,399670,8461,076,24530,314[21]See Note DA below
Greek Civil War1944-19491566[57]
Chinese Civil War1945–19501415016451215[57]
Berlin Blockade1948–194931[58]
Korean War1950–195333,6862,83036,51692,134128,6504,759Note: 4,759 MIA-See Note E below
U.S.S.R. Cold War1947–1991321244[50]
China Cold War1950–19721616[50]
Vietnam War1955–197547,42410,78558,209153,303211,4542,489[59][21][60]
1958 Lebanon crisis19581[61]5[61][62]61+[63]7+[64]
Bay of Pigs Invasion1961444[65]
Dominican Republic1965–1966272047283330[57][66][50][67]
Iran19800884120[68]
El Salvador Civil War1980–199222153735[69][70][71][72]
Beirut deployment1982–1984256266169[73]
Persian Gulf escorts1987–19883903931
Invasion of Grenada198318119119[73]
1986 Bombing of Libya198620202[74]
Invasion of Panama19892340324[73]
Gulf War1990–19911131482588491,2310[75][76]
Operation Provide Comfort1991-199611819423[77][78]
Somalia1992–1993291443153[73]
Haiti1994–1995143[73]
Colombia1994–present08[79][80]8[81]
Bosnia-Herzegovina1995–20047126[82]
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia1999119202+22+0[83]
Afghanistan2001–present1,4353682,0319,97112,0351[84][f][85]
Iraq War2003–20113,5429354,48731,96536,3952[84]
War on Terror: Afghanistan and Iraq Wars total2001–present4,9771,3036,51841,93648,4303[86]
Grand Total1775–present848,163437,4211,326,6121,531,0362,857,64838,159

[edit]

As you can see I have approximately 2,857,648 reasons for voting.  All of those lives lost or hopes dashed by all of our entanglements, the least I can do is vote.  They gave their lives and limbs so I could.  I hope you will, too.  Of course, these people also died and sacrificed so you could stay on the sidelines, so there is that too.  


Before I go, let me extend my birthday wishes to my brother Mark,  whose birthday is today.  A better Wombie never existed.


Comments

  1. Happy Birthday to You and Mark! I wish you both many more!

    ReplyDelete

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