Is it time to declare victory in the wars on poverty, drugs, and terrorism?
We actually have won the war on poverty for the moment, but the other two really should never have been called wars, because they will never end in "victory" and because military force is inappropriate to their resolution. There will always be drug problems and terrorists no matter what we do (and poverty as well but poverty in the US is far from the awful conditions that existed in the early 60's/...)
If we insist on fighting drugs as a war we cannot move to things that actually work. All the fighting has resulted after 30 years in a vast increase in the supply and an equivalent increase in the scope of drug abuse.
And while we sometimes need to use military force in regard to terrorism, I would suggest that we have done either nothing much to stop terrorism or have in fact bred thousands upon thousands of candidates for terrorist organizations to recruit; people who hate us as the occupiers and wreckers of the countries, or enemies of their religion.
Isn't it time to end these "wars" and get working on solutions for the health problem of drug abuse and ways to promote peace and build friendships in the world to encourage people to ally with us in the effort to suppress terrorism?
And isn't this proof that if the only tool you have is a hammer (i.e., a military greater than all the other militaries in the world combined) every problem looks like a nail (ie, a war)?
Poverty is a relative term. In the US almost no one dies of diarrhea...I think you must be thinking of third world countries. The war on poverty was domestic only. When it began there were many people living in terrible poverty notably in Appalachia. While there are poor people in America and the current economic crisis excepted almost all homelessness is a result of mental illness or drug abuse. Almost everyone can obtain adequate nutrition. While the education system sucks, it has actually improved dramatically in some rural poor areas. Or in more mundane terms most poor people have color tv and cable access.(sorry I know how that sounds but despite the fact that poverty is real for many it's not the grinding poverty we used to have).
Well by declare victory I meant that in American political discourse it is never acceptable to admit we've lost and been defeated. Of course we have in two out of three for sure, but also in our discourse we have learned to call it a victory and withdraw when we realize victory is not possible.
I don't mean to suggest we really won any of these...