American Aversion to Casualties: Debunking the Myth

摘要

The American public is not manifestly casualty averse. Instead, there exists a complex and intertwined set of variables that the American public examines - separately and continuously for each conflict - that determines the extent to which they will lend or withhold their support. Much more is factored into whether Americans support or oppose involvement in a particular conflict or operation than merely number of combat deaths. Factors such as the extent to which the country's leadership backs and frames the cause, the perceived necessity of the operation, the potential costs as weighed against the prospects for success, and an overall calculation of cost-risk-benefit analysis that drives public support or lack thereof. It is a grave oversimplification to believe that in instances where Americans have called for removal of U.S. troops from certain regions or conflicts, that it was a call based solely on the number of body bags sent home. This paper examines the validity of the perception that Americans are casualty averse, challenges that assertion, and then suggests more realistic reasons behind why the U.S. public does or does not support various U. S. Military involvement overseas.