Pacifism in the Modern World

When you switch on the news in 2013, what do you expect to hear? Bad news? If you listen, I mean really listen, to the subject matter of an average day's news reports then it will be mostly news you would rather not hear. Every kind of criminal act delivered upon unsuspecting victims on a daily basis. Depressing isn't it? When newsreaders tag on a "heart warming" story at the end (usually involving an animal or a child or both) we're supposed to forget all the other misery and clap our hands in glee that a missing cat  has been found stuck up an oak tree by little Freddie at the bottom of Mrs Smith's garden.
Oh that's all right then, I feel so much better about the latest pointless, loss of life now.

By nature I am a pacifist but do understand that, historically, an armed response to resolve conflict has on occasion been the only option. These have been few and far between, however. the Second World War and the fight against the Nazis is, obviously, one such war that had to be fought militarily. What about the ongoing carnage in Afghanistan and the recent war against non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Do you buy into this "keeping our national security safe" mantra from the last 2 governments? How does this work exactly? Let us not forget that the last major terrorist attack on this country came from the "enemy within" i.e. British born terrorists who had been partly influenced by the misguided foreign policy of this country. When the combined armed forces leave Helmand province and beyond after thousands have been slaughtered on all sides, will this region really be free of extremism ? You really think so?    
Regardless of whether British soldiers are in Afghanistan or not, the chances of falling victim to a terrorist attack in this country are miniscule. The chances of suffering serious harm at the hands of our own criminals are statistically much higher. The next time you hear a politician trying to justify soldiers being sent to their deaths outside their national borders, take time to have a think about it. It's not pretty.