Sent thousands of Americans to die for his rich buddies

A common claim we see around the internet is monumental amount of critism that George W Bush got for, as this user claims. Sending Americans to die, in essence for his mates to profit. We're going to explore that claim today. And break it down bit by bit so you get the facts.

A lot of us (like the person writing this article) were born in the 90s so didn't really get interested or involved in politics till figures like Obama and David Cameron were taking the stage. Extremely post Bush.

Sent thousands of Americans to die

This portion of the claim is statistically verifiable. The wars initiated by the Bush administration resulted in a significant loss of American life.

• The Numbers:

  • Iraq War: 4,431 U.S. soldiers killed; 31,994 wounded in action.

  • Afghanistan War: 2,402 U.S. soldiers killed; 20,713 wounded in action.

  • Total: Over 6,800 American service members died in post-9/11 conflicts initiated under the Bush administration.

For his rich buddies

This is the contentious part of the claim. To verify this, we look at who benefited financially and their proximity to the President. The evidence of "crony capitalism" is overwhelming.

• The Cheney/Halliburton Connection:

  • The Link: Vice President Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. He received a $34 million exit package when he left to join the Bush ticket.

  • The Profit: Halliburton’s subsidiary, KBR, was the single largest recipient of federal contracts in the Iraq War, receiving roughly $39.5 billion.

  • The Irregularity: Much of this money was awarded through "no-bid" contracts (contracts awarded without competition), which were justified by the administration as "emergency necessities."

• The "Revolving Door":

  • Officials like James Baker (Bush family consiglieri and former Sec. of State) had significant equity in the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that profited heavily from defense contracts.

  • Condoleezza Rice (National Security Advisor, later Sec. of State) had a Chevron oil tanker named after her (the Condoleezza Rice) due to her previous service on their board, highlighting the deep ties between the administration and the energy sector.

Blood for Oil

Was the war actually for these profits, or were the profits just a side effect?

• Alan Greenspan’s Admission: The former Chairman of the Federal Reserve wrote in his memoir: "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil."

• The WMD Lie: The official justification for the war (Weapons of Mass Destruction) was proven false. When the stated reason for a war collapses, accountability demands we look at the actual strategic benefits, which were primarily:

  1. Securing oil reserves.

  2. Opening markets for US contractors (Halliburton/Bechtel).

Conclusion

The claim that Bush "sent Americans to die for his rich buddies" is a valid critical interpretation of the facts.

1. Did thousands die? Yes.

2. Did his "rich buddies" (Cheney/Halliburton/Defense Contractors) make billions? Yes, unprecedented amounts.

3. Was the war justified by anything else? No. The WMDs did not exist.

Conclusion: The statement serves as an accurate summary of the consequences of the Bush presidency, even if the "intent" is debated by historians.