Dr. Jim's WebLog

This is an unbelievable account of what went on in Iraq. Somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 people, minimum, were murdered in sadistic ways. While I can see how, pre-war, there could be reasonable debate about whether this was a just war, it is difficult for me to see how decent human beings could stand by and watch this. But we did.

At this point we as a nation need to come to terms with what we did, of course, but even more important is to decide where to go next. It's hard for me to feel much guilt about Afganistan or Iraq. More good than harm appears to have been done. I've always been opposed to nation-building but events are making me question my previous thinking. Can I, a physician, stand by and watch someone suffer and die if I have the ability to stop it? Can I, a citizen of a powerful country with the capability, watch millions suffer and die if I could vote to stop it? Difficult, difficult...