To the author of, "Lack of leadership clouding war efforts", June 25, 2006, who expresses concern only for how the war against terrorism affects our social welfare back in our secure homeland, our troops might suggest that he might "listen up" to what British philosopher, John Stuart Mill had to say about war in 1865:

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."