The 0.45%

[Sharpienads]

The percentages change. If you and I were in a room you like vanilla I like chocolate. 50% likes vanilla. If I am with 100 people I like vanilla 99 like chocolate, then 1% likes vanilla.

Unless I like vanilla AND chocolate. Then 100% likes chocolate and only 50% like vanilla. So we (you and I) outnumber me (just me) by 50%. Suddenly I find myself in a mathematical and statistical minority. But I digress.

If you take the percentage of the total number of people who served in the military out of the total population, it doesn't matter what the hard numbers are. It's still a percentage that represents those who served out of the total population. But as you point out, statistics can be misleading, and that's why it's important to get real numbers along with percentages. That's why i said I would be interested in the numbers as well. I guess I could google it, but I'd rather think about ice cream, which is what I assume you were referring to with your chocolate/vanilla example.

[BigBear]

Regardless, once again: thank you to all who have served! You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. My freedoms, liberties, and even my life is due to your service and protection, and sacrifices. So thank you to all whom have served (whether I agree with you or not, Ha!)

[Irving]

11.2% of 130 million is 1.4 million.
.45% of 357 million is 1.6 million.

11.2% of 357 million is 39.9 million. We probably couldn't have afforded that many troops anyway.

[jonnyd49]

Not only did 1.4 million serve during WWII, but (according to a quick wikipedia search) 416,000 American service members were killed. In Vietnam, 58,000 service members were killed. In the current War on Terror, right around 7,000 service members have been killed.

Despite the extremely small percentage of troops killed in the current war, current generations have no idea what sacrifice means. Most have no idea what kind of sacrifice was made in generations past.

I'm only 31 years old, but I firmly believe that our Greatest Generation was the one which fought and won in World War II. I don't mean just the soldiers, but also all those in the US who made sacrifices, bought war bonds, went to work in America's industries, and provided what our service members needed. Reading about and talking to WWII veterans amazes me at how tough those guys were.

[Sharpienads]

11.2% of 130 million is 1.4 million.
.45% of 357 million is 1.6 million.

11.2% of 357 million is 39.9 million. We probably couldn't have afforded that many troops anyway.

You're right about that, no way we could afford 40M troops. I don't think we need that many anyways.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Just noticed that those Eras aren't counted is all

Wow, way to intentionally take things out of context. He outlined two endpoints of a timeline to support his thesis of a declining portion of the population directly involved in the defense of the country but from that you try to imply he was ignoring the middle periods. Who'd you learn math and logic from, Obama?

[KevDen2005]

The percentages change. If you and I were in a room you like vanilla I like chocolate. 50% likes vanilla. If I am with 100 people I like vanilla 99 like chocolate, then 1% likes vanilla.

Great, now all I can think about is Ice Cream

[KevDen2005]

Not only did 1.4 million serve during WWII, but (according to a quick wikipedia search) 416,000 American service members were killed. In Vietnam, 58,000 service members were killed. In the current War on Terror, right around 7,000 service members have been killed.

Despite the extremely small percentage of troops killed in the current war, current generations have no idea what sacrifice means. Most have no idea what kind of sacrifice was made in generations past.

I'm only 31 years old, but I firmly believe that our Greatest Generation was the one which fought and won in World War II. I don't mean just the soldiers, but also all those in the US who made sacrifices, bought war bonds, went to work in America's industries, and provided what our service members needed. Reading about and talking to WWII veterans amazes me at how tough those guys were.

The statistic that I have always heard is that during WWII (at the height) there were as many as 16 Million people on active duty. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't have a source handy.

[Byte Stryke]

Wow, way to intentionally take things out of context. He outlined two endpoints of a timeline to support his thesis of a declining portion of the population directly involved in the defense of the country but from that you try to imply he was ignoring the middle periods. Who'd you learn math and logic from, Obama?

He also included a single point somewhere in-between. I only brought it up more as a query/observation not as accusation.

and what the hell does this have to do with Obama?

Did you run out out valid argument points already?


nevermind

/ignore

[Sharpienads]

He also included a single point somewhere in-between. I only brought it up more as a query/observation not as accusation.

and what the hell does this have to do with Obama?

Did you run out out valid argument points already?


nevermind

/ignore

Why /ignore? This is just starting to get /interesting!