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Our middle son experience this war culture during his service for the U.S. Army in the Sadr City portion of Baghdad in 2007. He came out with PTSD and survivor's guilt, committing suicide by gunshot to the head ten years later. My perspective does not disregard the greater affliction committed against Iraqis, Afghans, and others, but emphasizes the fact that more soldiers die by suicide than during the war, itself. My son did things contrary to normal human instinct, and suffered for it.

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Mar 19, 2023Liked by Paul Street

When they build nuclear weapons/guided missiles, commit crimes against humanity, kill with impunity; there’s a disgrace on the human race.

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Looks like the unipolar murderous bully is in his last throes. Just hoping he doesn't have a nuclear tantrum.

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I feel you angst.

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founding

I am reminded of the Clint Eastwood directed movie, "American Sniper," about Chris Kyle, another nationally honored killer of innocent people. After spending three years in the Army, 1966-1969, the last thing I would want to endorse is the person who kills others from such a distance, with such a weapon, that s/he is never in harm's way him/herself. Snipers are glorified cowards, who risk nothing in their pursuit of a record number of kills. That our society celebrates such people is as astonishing to me, as it is disgusting.

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Reading just the review of this murderous book made me feel both angry and sick. I cannot imagine reading the book, let alone writing it or living the experiences in it. How can we ever grow into a healthy country with such deep pathology at our core? When we define our power and status in the world by our ability to kill and torture we can only destroy ourselves as well as others. I long for a world built of healthy materials.

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