Can’t afford wars

I hope everyone read Trudy Rubin’s Jan. 25 column “GOP must elevate debate.” In it she states that the current Republican candidates’ positions on foreign policy are so incoherent that “they make George W. Bush look like a savant.” Rubin consistently avoids political partisanship, making this remarkable statement all the more powerful.

What Rubin understands is that avenues besides ground wars are available and more productive in seeking what we want in the world. The apparent lack of understanding of the subtleties and interrelatedness of regional politics on the part of these candidates should be both frightening and unacceptable to voters.

I believe the primary reason for our towering deficit is that we’ve been all too willing to wage war. War is far more expensive than its alternatives. And it’s rarely an absolute necessity. Tough talk can feel good, but the continuous waging of war is killing us, financially, morally and spiritually.

If you’re an independent voter, I hope you think twice before voting for a candidate who speaks recklessly about war. America, and the world, cannot afford endless wars. What a candidate says is important. It’s up to us to demand diplomacy, cultural understanding and alternative solutions from our leaders.

Andy James

Colville