A Life in Wars

I have suddenly realized (at age 80) that my life encompasses multiple wars.


• ages 0-7: World War II.

• ages 12 to 13: Korean War

• ages 28-37 : Vietnam War

• ages 65-80: Iraq/Afghanistan Wars


What effect has this had on me?  I hate war.  I have personally known people who have been forever negatively affected by their experience in wars.  I have not personally been involved in fighting wars.  I know that to secure U.S. hegemony these wars have been conducted.  I also know that for as long as the U.S. empire survives, wars (physical and/or cyber) will be executed in the name of this empire, and that fact will condition how the people of the U.S. perceive their country.

If this were an absurdist play, we could all leave the theatre assured of the rightness of our lives.  But this is not an absurdist play.  This is our lives and the lives of our progeny.  What effects will we and  they endure?