We’re addicted to war

Max Boot (“Ounce of cure is worth pound of prevention for GOP,” Sept. 25) admirably tars Republicans for disastrous responses to crises of gun violence, climate and COVID. If we could transcend partisan polarization, give half a hoot about our neighbors, and recall the wisdom of great peacemakers, Americans could work together and solve our most common and pressing problems.

The U.S. addiction to war allows corporate hegemony, economic and racial injustice, judicial and law enforcement brutality, and special privileges for primary polluters. Martin Luther King Jr. warned about the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism, still a comprehensive trifecta.

If you wonder what motivates shootings, excessive force, fear of knowledge, or distortions of religion to condone violence and selfishness, look closely at our dependence upon war. How else could we ignore World Peace Day and the law banning nuclear weapons?

Rusty Nelson

Spokane