Before I begin this blog, let me say this is a statement of my personal ideology and is in no way meant to diminish the hard work American soldiers are doing in a war zone to defend this country.

That being said, allow me to continue.

When the concept of war was first introduced to me, it didn't make sense. It didn't make sense that the Russians could be the faceless evil we were led to believe they were (I was raised during the climax of the Cold War, remember), and it didn't make sense to point a weapon at someone with the intention of taking that person's life, to prove a point.

It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't now. When your opponent is dead, there is no point to be proven, only a dead body to be consigned to a grave or the ravages of decay.

Similarly, imperialism and materialism made little sense. When one has enough, I reasoned, what is the point of wanting more? Simplicity and pacifism were always matters of common sense to me,never matters of debate.

I cannot say I felt or feel the same about defense. We do have a right and a responsibility to protect ourselves from those less than benificent entities that would do us harm. And to that end, I've never criticized having a standing military (not to mention the practical peacetime applications of a standing military,such as mobilizing equipment and personnel to disasters, such as the tsunami tragedy). But I've always felt the military should be judiciously utilized;after all, the cost of our resources, and even personnel, are significant enough that we should be cautious in their use.

I have very mixed emotions on the Iraqi conflict. It is my hope that somehow this nation and these people, can know the peace that I, as an American, have known in practice if not in theory my entire life, and I KNOW there is no way this peace could be known under Hussein's leadership. I hope the new leadership is different in that aspect,at least.

I cannot help but reflect on the utter stupidity and waste of resources that is war. And I truly hope I will be able to see a day when it no longer exists.