Community Commentary -- Paul James Baldwin

Yes, there are many stories about World War II (The Bell Curve,

“Required viewing for those who’d press war on terrorism,” March 21).

Yes, there are many reasons not to accept sending our youth into war.

Yes, there are many reasons to disagree with the current United States

position and policy on the war against terrorism.

Today is not the year 1939. The world has changed. War has changed,

and so have politics.

The attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, when the center was

targeted for destruction by a van filled with explosives that killed

innocent people, was our wake up call. We did not listen. Then, all-out

war was declared upon the United States and all its citizens. Still, we

did not listen. Finally, when commercial airplanes commandeered by

so-called terrorists brought down the twin towers, it got our attention.

It is not a case of a surprise attack, or anything our government was not

aware of. We were aware of the goal of radicals to use commercial jets

for the purpose of destruction for many years. In fact, the United

States was able to prevent the use or destruction of commercial jets

years ago because our intelligence warned us of the threat.

I suggest columnist Joseph N. Bell leave the movie theater and read

international news accounts of not only what happened here in the United

States, but what is happening around the world. I agree with Bell, there

should be a prerequisite for sending any more Americans into battle. The

sound bites that many Americans get all pumped up for military action and

the possible death of their children is not real, accurate or even, at

times, truthful.

I also agree with Bell about not expanding our military commitment

beyond Afghanistan. Now the United States is willing to commit money,

resources and the lives of our youth to fighting drugs in Colombia. This

will work as well as putting an embargo on Canada during Prohibition. The

likes of the Kennedys profited from the prohibition on alcohol, just like

the Cali Cartel in Colombia is and will profit from America’s war on

drugs. But this is business for some in our country and a very profitable

business at that.

For-profit prisons, federal government pork-barrel politics, the war

on terrorism, as well as the war on drugs is eroding our personal

liberties, taking away our freedom and privacy, and making each and every

one of us nothing more than a bit player in George Orwell’s “1984.”

Back to Bell’s ideas on sending any more Americans into battle. I

agree that for us to send Americans into battle, we should have the right

reasons -- especially morally, not economic -- for demanding death.

The seven-day war, the war on terrorism, the war on drugs. The fear of

death a soldier faces is always present. But we have soldiers for this

reason: to fight and, if need be, to die.

But do you want them to die for a reason that is morally repugnant, a

reason to die that is based on economic factors, a reason to die that is

based on “God” and religion? If you do, please talk to the mothers and

fathers of those who have died for the economic and political and morale

reasons I mentioned. Some wars cannot be won like the war on alcohol

(prohibition), the war on drugs and the war on reason.

* PAUL JAMES BALDWIN is a longtime Newport Beach resident whose

commentaries will appear occasionally.