Wars and diplomacy are about ways of life, not life

There are some things worth fighting and dieing for, and just to preserve life is not one of them.

Wars and diplomacy are practiced by adults who do so from afar. Actual war fighting is done by those who see it more personally, as in love for their buddies.

Wars and diplomacy today are not about apelike chest beating, or egos, or insults, or even payback (at least in the short term). Wars and diplomacy are about protecting, and often advancing one’s way of life, one’s culture, one’s means to protect our families and children. This sounds like defensive war and diplomacy. There is offensive war and diplomacy, but it is seldom even considered in the West these days. Unfortunately, many in the East still do consider it since the idea is primeval in nature. And given the poor understanding of Eastern cultures and values, many in the West are at a disadvantage in defensive war and diplomacy. Forget the offensive part.

When Western political leaders are 100 % committed to trading our cultures and values and preservation of our way of life just to save one kidnapped person by Eastern people, in order to preserve his or her way of life, then there is a problem. All understand that life is full of compromises, so most understand that sometimes a politician may see advantages in compromising, as in paying money or releasing our own prisoners. It is the 100% factor that most object to. This is not theoretical, some have friends who have been kidnapped and put through mock executions by Eastern valued people.

So in the future is kidnapping by bandits and bad guys in the Middle East going to get a 100% response rate from our Western political leaders and their appointed minions? I hope and expect not. There are billions of us concerned about our progeny, our way of life, and even the wonderful things Western culture and science has brought to the world.