Opinion : Letter to the Editor: War

Dear Editor,

War – is that the only solution?

A few days ago, I posted on my Facebook page about my confusion on the desire of the Democrats to begin a war with Russia . . . and I find today that their desires are only getting stronger. SMH.   Add to that the PM of England talking about forming a “coalition of the willing” to put boots on the ground and planes in the air.  Such easy words to say . . . especially if they won’t be his boots. 

I think one of the things to blame for this relatively cavalier attitude about war is that we've forgotten what total global war looks like.  We have lots of little hot spots, but we’ve not seen a global war since 1945.  It’s made us complacent.   All the while the fragile peace that has held the world together since then has steadily become frayed until we have the major global players at the edges of a conflict that could ignite in a heartbeat.  Most living people have not experienced the devastation of WWII.  I remember clearly one experience I had with a survivor.

Years ago, in a course I facilitated, I sat on the floor with a woman as she sobbed her heart out. She was older and the purpose of the particular exercise she was involved in was to recall, relive and understand what her most traumatic experience had done to her and the way she saw the world. The experience she shared was sitting in a park as a girl . . . outside of Dresden, Germany as the allies fire-bombed the city into ash and coals. She was around 9 at the time. That . . . that is what we are flirting with.

For 13 years I was part of a Tac Fighter Wing whose job was to defend the Fulda Gap against Russian tanks. Of course, there was an acknowledgement that chemical and nuclear warfare would be part of the mix. You've not lived until you've spent days in MOPP gear and working through nuclear shelter exercises while fueling and rearming fighters while their engines are still cranking.

Taking a lot of words to say that there is tremendous value in getting all parties around a table and seeing if these events can be avoided. We have no idea what Russia is willing to put on the table to stop this nonsense - they've lost a million soldiers . . . a million. There might be some give there.

Unfortunately, with Zelenskyy - with total military and civilian casualties being around 150,000 - he seems uninterested in talking to anyone at all unless it involves when the next shipment of arms is arriving and when he will receive his next check.  The British PM is willing to push in all his chips – men, aircraft as well as those of “the willing”.  Shockingly . . . the Democrats seem to be all in on Zelenskyy's approach as well . . . they seem to have no interest in the parties gathering around a table to see what is possible.

The only man on the face of the earth willing to at least talk is Trump. And for that he is ridiculed and condemned as an ally of Putin. Really?? That old song one more time??? Has no one read the Durham report??? Of course not . . . so the Russia, Russia, Russia "dice" get yet another roll.

Let me say this . . . war is to be avoided. Nuclear war will mean the end of civilization - period. (Annie Jacobson - Nuclear War: A Scenario). This is NOT about Trump . . . this is about your families, your children, your grandchildren . . . and the possibility of things going wildly out of hand because no one is willing to sit around the table for a few hours to see if there are alternatives available.

And, if we do sit around the table . . . and the only solution reached is . . . WAR . . . then war it is . . . but at least we can all be satisfied that we gave it a shot as we bury our sons, daughters, family and friends . . . just sayin' . . .

Respectfully,

Bill Keller