The Casualty Aversion Myth

There is a belief that Western societies are averse to military casualties in war. They are: but perhaps in a more nuanced way that we have thought. Evidence tells us that societies are more willing to accept greater numbers of casualties if the case for doing so is compelling. In fact, it seems they have greater tolerance for casualties than their elected politicians or military leaders. Without a corrective, politics and military personnel risk skewing decisions on national security on the basis of a casualty aversion myth which society does not possess.