Sherie - Roosevelt Island

When you were talking this morning about Europe finally "eliminating" war among it's member countries, you forgot that with the fall of Yugoslavia there was a very bloody war that led to much damage and terrible repercussions on the civilian population. Remember Serbia, Kosovo, and Srebenica.

And please don't forget what has been happening in so many African countries with the kidnapping and drugging of young children for the purpose of turning them into "soldiers" (pure cowardice on the part of the adult male "soldiers"), the chopping off of limbs, and wholesale, mass rape as a coercive weapon; there was also mass killing by one group by another in Rwanda, (Hutus and Tutsis), Sudan, etc...This was over which tribe was seen as "in favor" over the other...base reasoning and yet...if someone's foot is on or perceived to be on another's neck...

I agree with those who put much of the fault of war on the corporate military industrrial COMPLEX, which Eisenhower warned this country and the world of. There's money to be made and those people in the business of making and selling weapons are not going to stop just 'cause we want it so. The need for weapons needs to be curtailed but the lust for power (and money) at all cost is a tough nut...

When countries cannot get weapons, perhaps the fighting will not cease, but the dimensions of the attacks and killing (especially upon civilians) can be more controlled and lessened. But stopped...??? Not so sure of that.

Syria is a current lesson of carrying out war upon its own people as tribe/religious group driven (Alawites vs.Sunnis) and with supplies of weapons being never-ending, so far. When the UN had an opportunity last week to send a unified message to the Syrian leader, neither China or Russia would vote with their fellow countries, and it was later reported that they were busy selling arms to Assad. I rest my case!

The "Cabaret" song said it perfectly: "Money makes the world go 'round..."