Is War Worth The Price?

Iraq sets in ruins, racked by violence and run by an inept, corrupt and largely dis-functional government. While Afghanistan is overwhelmed by corruption, violence and illiteracy. Its economy is dependent upon the world's largest drug trade and U.S. military dollars.

Is this worth the severe price paid in lives, fear, cruelty and ignorance and paid in vast amounts of money that could have uplifted humanity instead of destroying it.

Is there an alternative approach? Of course but that would involve sincerely caring about and compassionately listening to the vast number of men, women and children who live in these nations. And it requires a determination to resolve issues peacefully, rather than arbitrarily invading nations and demonizing and killing or torturing anyone who opposes the invasion and subsequent occupation.

That's not to say a peaceful approach will easily resolve problems, but it is a far better approach than what has taken place thus far, as the Afghanistan War is 10 1/2 years old with no end in sight and Iraq after an 8 1/2 year war is a disaster.

But there is hope. These valuable lessons in peace and compassion mankind can readily learn if only it would practice the most basic of all religious teachings, "do unto others as you would have done unto you."

Dick