I'm Confused

I'm from the U.S. and I served proudly in the U.S. military. I have injuries to this day from service in the 90's. I have several friends that were killed and I know a couple that are seriously injured and their life will never be the same.

As I get older, I wonder more and more about how stupid war is. It is easily avoidable with simple diplomacy. What is even more stupid is the evolution of the friends and enemies of the United States in the last 100 years.

In World War II, the United States was mainly engaged with Germany and Japan. Our alleys in this were Russia and China. Fast forward seventy years, and Germany and Japan are our allies and China and Russia seemed to be the potential enemy.

Since the 60's, the U.S. has flip flopped from being friends and enemies at least 6 times with Iran and Iraq.

Cuba is another example, one stroke of a pen and now as an American I can visit there and spend money freely. For 70 years it was illegal for me to go there or even smoke a cigar from there!!

With all these enemies and friends shifting around, it's hard for me to tell my son to join the military and follow in my footsteps. He could get caught up in some recreational war and get seriously injured for life.

In my humble opinion, the U.S. needs a strong leader that can stop waging war, and start waging peace.