Tony Magliano’s pacifist opinions return in “America’s longest war: 10 years and counting” (CR, Sept. 29), where he repeats the Beatles’ classic, “All You Need is Love.” His advice would have us believe that peace is the normal state of mankind when history consistently teaches otherwise. He may wish it were possible for the United States to disband the military and eliminate weapons; however, any prudent evaluation of the current global situation would preclude any such possibility.
If Magliano wants to blame anyone for the military-industrial complex, it should be elected officials. As much as we should regret the expense and loss of life associated with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not prudent to believe that we could have done nothing when large portions of the globe were threatened by terrorism. Magliano, and The Catholic Review by extension, would ask us to blindly avoid any possible military action and just concentrate on peace and love. The love of peace may be admirable but it is not a prudent alternative for hard political decisions, which must confront evil and desperation in the world.