" How is that going to work? They never found Iraq's nukes. Israel still won't admit that they have nukes. North Korea just tested their nukes. And those countries are just the small-timers. How is anybody going to verify that Russia or the U.S. or China has gotten rid of all their nukes? And then, how are you going to verify that nobody is making more nukes? The Americans and the Russians have been hiding nukes for about 60 years and they're very good at it. You can't un-invent the bomb, or anything else for that matter. "

" Don't worry Jack, you're not alone. Most kids your age are going through the same kind of process, trying to find their place in the world. Some hide their confusion much better than others. People instinctively believe that history starts the day they are born and that the world has never been in as bad shape as it is now. Stay in school, study hard and you will find out that ideology is what drives the world. (Even your mission to eliminate ideology is in fact an ideology.)Countries that exclusively live within their borders eventually fall victum to nationalism as their (necessary) tariffs lead to war. Since WWII, interdependence and free trade have been shown to be the answer to international conflict. Our "little differences" don't appear so little when dealing with pyschopathic Islamofascists who are bent on world domination. Your generation will still be dealing with them when mine is long gone. I hope by then you have regained enough of your pride to continue the fight... "

" I don't think Iraq ever had any nukes. I do believe the WMD's in Iraq everyone is referring to were chemical weapons. But getting rid of "nukes" won't solve things as man is very good of coming up with many ways at killing each other. Biological and chemical weapons can be just as deadly. But Jack, do not dismay. There are always more good people, than bad. I agree with Kevin, in that Islamo fascism is our greatest threat. I do not think that this country quite understands that yet. I do feel your generation, or the next will be the ones facing the worst of these zealots. But in World War Two, they had Hitler. There has always been people willing to kill others to spread their sick beliefs. They do not see the "Big Picture" you refer to. It is part of being human. Without the bad, how could we appreciate the good in the world? We need to aspire to be better, and be willing to fight to stop evil in the world. Evil will always be with us, but it does not mean you should give up. My son feels strongly about the same things you feel strongly about. Everyone has a different way of dealing with these issues. He wanted to serve his country, so joined the Air Force. I am sure the same worries you have are part of what inspired him to join. He feels as if he is doing good for our country and helping solve these problems. Other people might head in a complete opposite direction. But the important thing is to have purpose in your life. You should be proud of yourself for seeing the big picture, and not being shallow. The best thing you can do for yourself is to look at all issues with an open mind, and try to see both sides. Understand the history of what brought us to today, and put it in context of the times it happened in. The more you can understand the past, the better you can prepare for the future. And Jack, take a break from the worrying and have some fun. There are many good things in this world. Spend some time each day thinking about what is good. Take the time to appreciate all of your blessings. "

" Hey Jack, there will never be world peace. It is not possible. As long as there are people out there who want nothing more than to take all they can get and stop at nothing to try to get rich and powerful there will be violence. This is how the world has been for a very long time. The U.S. is probably the worst ever how we just came and slaughtered so many Indians for the land. There must be war if we just laid down and refused to fight then we would get mauled over and overpowered. For example, Germany almost took over the world in world war two. If so many brave soldiers would have refused to stand up for there countries the whole world would be Germany right now. "

" Jack. I'm not sure if you are an authentic person or not. I can understand the myriad insights that might enter your adolescent mind. Yet, you seem to believe the answer is "we have to do something". The bane to 1960s adolescents. War is a horrible thing. We haven't had a real war since Germany and Japan surrendered unconditionally. War ends when the enemy is eliminated and an unconditional surrender is achieved. A dictator can be captured and eliminated but, his/her control must also be eradicated. The reality of war is that populations have to suffer. The phrase war is hell is truth. Many people died since World War Two. Very few of them in our United States. Why? We took the war to they who brought it. Korea, Viet Nam, Granada et. al., were not wars. Why? There was no surrender. I'm sure some Berkeley intellectual will argue this point. Where would they be if the enemy emerged victorious? I believe that will be enough for you to consider at this time. "

" There are many who do not believe in war.If we used our minds instead of our brute strength it could happen. One can hope it will be Jack's generation that will break the cycle. World peace is an awesome aspiration. Do not believe those who say it can't be done. "

" LOL. Great post, but you forgot your tag line, "Righty!" "

" Idealism is a good thing for a young person. But as you grow up and have to start paying for things is that you start to compromise your idealism for the realities of the costs of life. Unfortunately for many people is that they can't let go and can't figure out why they are so frustrated. Its like people who are all worried about global warming...their concern is good but they can't do anything really and it causes all this political blaming and finger pointing in the democrat party. Its like buying a Prius to save gas yet it will never make economic sense due to the high purchase cost of the car. Democrats think that a great idea is all they need and then the solution to the problem is to blame. "

" The responses so far to this letter is exactly what Jack hopes to get beyond, 2-dimensional thought, which keeps humanity locked into 2D politics. Few people, young or old, think at the depth Jack does. If more did we would be moving away from this persistance towards humanitarian distruction. Mine/yours, good/bad, us/them, right/wrong, blah, blah, blah, all 2D. Thank you Jack for introducing me to your 2D and 3D terms. I like them and will voice them. And to those of you who wrote in a patronizing voice to Jack, attempting to console him or provide him with an answer; that is not what he was asking for. He was asking for you thoughts, a carry-on of his thoughts and questions, a 3D confersation, not your black and white, off-the-top-of-your-shallow-thinking head. Jack, I hope there are more of your generation who think as you do. You are our hope. "

" For Liberals (and far too many Democrats), all you have to do is "care". Doesn't matter if it works or not, just that you tried. I am not sure when this split from reality happened, sometime since JFK, but it seems to define the modern Lib. "

" An excellent, thought provoking letter. All I can add to the previous posters is, before you decide which way to go, listen to all sides of the question. Right, left, and center all have something to add. There is no one correct way to think, even though many would have us believe so. "

" Hello Jack. Well, as you wrote, many kids your age don't think too much about the world they live in. From reading the posts below, it looks to me like not much has changed for the "adults" responding to your post. You just think at a higher level, and that is okay. Life may seem more difficult becuase you see the world "warts and all" and you are worried about the future. I felt the same way when I was your age (24 yers ago) and I still worry about the future of the world, though now I worry for my daughter. Jack, some people just don't care as much as you do. Hopefully you will continue to study hard, surround yourself with smart people who want to make good changes in this world, and will become a leader in your community. What I heard in your post is that you are at times sad to the point of tears. That's normal and if you ever need to talk with someone seek out a teacher, parent or community leader that you trust and talk with them about how you feel. Everything you are feeling is normal. It's a tough world out there but there is a great deal of beauty and opportunity for change. Who knows, you may be one of the people who helps to make the new world you envision. And the good news is that there are really hundreds of other teens right here in Napa who feel the same way you do - they may not have yet found the courage to say so. You are a young leader. You have inspired me and others. I am proud to know you are here in our community. "

" If you understand one thing, understand that the same people that control the Federal Reserve Banking System (a misleading name that is not any part of our government), control Wall Street. These people start the wars, they finance both sides of the wars, (they even backed Stalin and Hitler), they profit from the wars, and they hold the puppet strings that go from their hands to our Presidents lips. At the same time, through their foundations and corporations, they push for an illusion of peace which can never be achieved as long as they control the money. They formed the United Nations, not for peace, but to control nations. None of this makes any sense unless you study real history, not the history that you learn in school. Do yourself a favor and read “The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve:” by Edward Griffin "

" Someone once told me. If you are young and not a liberal - you have no heart. If you are old and not a republican - you have no brain. This stuck with me because although it rang slightly true, it made me think of everything lost in the middle. Thanks Jack for giving a bright, fresh, young opinion to ponder. Be at peace though, the Lord is sovereign over every act eveil or otherwise. Don't be tricked into believing there is anything in this world that occurs that will not eventually give him glory. "

" Jack, I enjoyed your letter and appreciate your sharing your thoughts. One thing I think is to remember how much caring and love there is between people already, and how much cooperation is in fact going on. It does seem to me that in many ways people are more extreme in at least the passion that they feel in their disagreements. The actual differences are smaller than they have ever been, though, amazingly enough. I have a friend in England who is always saying, over there it is hard for them to tell the difference between the Democrats and Republicans, and indeed you have perhaps identified them both as 2D. I think that we have to remember that everyone who has an opinion, whether 3D or 2D or no D at all, is doing it because they care about something. You wrote the letter because you cared, and everyone who wrote back, whatever they said, cared about the issue in one way or another enough to write back. There is a kind of unity in that. Never underestimate the caring that people feel because it will carry us through. There is some truth that people see when they have opinions, and I always try to see it from their point of view. If one does that, you can see indeed that there is some real concern there being expressed. If you can empathize with that, it keeps you from making those that disagree with you into demons or idiots, and you can see where you can work together with people you don't agree with. "

" Well, Jack, you face the same things I did when I was a teen. When I finished doing my tour as a 'multiple independently retargetable vehicle' or MIRV-warhead missile aimer job in the US Navy, my sister told me something that comforted me. She said, paraphrasing, because you did your duty of threatening the world with nuclear weapons, a nulear war did not break out. I hate nuclear weapons as only somebody who has seen and touched the pure distilled evil of a nuclear weapon personally can hate them. However, every country (so far) that has acquired nuclear weapons has avoided the kinds of horrible 'conventional wars' that lead to the invention of nuclear weapons in the first place. The USA is still the only country that has used nukes on another country to our shame. New members fo the nuclear club, Pakistan and India have changed their relationship since they detonated their weapons. So nuclear fire is not the threat it first seems to be. I'd be more afraid of idiots like Bush who want to go around invading countries that had nothing to do with 9-11 and making all the countries that don't have nukes now ( but might have something Bush wants like control over oil) want to get them to keep us from invading them. Just because people speak another language and have a different faith doesn't mean they are too stupid to understand the difference in the way we treated Iraq (Without) vs. North Korea (With). After all, look at all the sabre rattling at Iran (another Without) --Lefty!!! "

" "RightyRimBrog" seems to confuse weaponry with bravery. The North American Indians were brave, they went out to fight people armed with rifles with bows and arrows. The rifles won, but not because the people carrying them were brave. The 'bravest side' doesn't always win. The Confederates were brave, but the Union wore them down. The Germans were crazy and brave, but the combined weight of North America, Europe, and Asia brought them down. The Wingnuts pimp the story that the USA did it singlehandedly. With the advent of nuclear weapons, it doesn't matter if somebody is bravely looking up or cringing in the gutter when the last flash comes. The fellow who pushed the button to launch the weapon is least brave of all. Bravery would be saying NO. So far one nuclear armed power has been changed, the Soviet Union is no more because the little people had enough of their system and changed it peacefully right on our TVs. It almost happened in China (but remember who was toasting the Chinese Communists after the Tienimen Square massacre was over, mmmm, that would be the Republicans, yes). Ghandi tossed out a world power (admittedly on the wane) without raising even a militia. The days when war was profitable to a nation-state are gone. As soon as we make it unprofitable for corporations, war will be gone. Don't underestimate yourself and keep writing. The nutjobs will hate you for it, but who cares what nutjobs think (or do they even think at all)? --Lefty!!! "

" I'll tell you what would happen if all of the nukes in the world somehow magically vanished. China and Russia would swoop down on us just like that, and then it would be time to grab your guns and defend your family on the bloody streets of your own hometown. Sound like fun? "

" If all nukes magically vanished the USA would still have the largest stockpiles of every other kind of weapon know to man. Poison gases and dusts, bioweapons, fuel-air bombs, smart bombs, dumb bombs, smart missiles, dumb missiles, smart torpedoes, dumb torpedoes, landmines, you-name-the-weapon we have the most of them. Why are some people so afraid of other people who don't have half as many weapons as we do? It must be a guilty conscience. --Lefty!!! "

" Or, it might be a recollection and understanding of history, Lefty. "

" Lefty, you seem to have forgotten that the U.S. got rid of its chemical/biological weapons stockpiles many years ago. Nothing to do w/ a guilty conscience, but China has been building up their army for years. They have 300 million soldiers they could send after us. Just simple, logical facts Lefty. "

" Not likely, "Steph". Why would irrational fear of others who are less well armed than you are be a "recollection and understanding of history"? That makes no sense. Nobody launches wars they think they will lose, not even Mr. Bungle. In every war initiation, some idiot thought they could win. I am quite sure Mr. Bungle believed the 'flowers in the streets' propaganda that he and the rest of his incompetent enablers pushed. You don't deny we are better armed, you just back the premise of the paranoid that we can never have enough weapons to make us safe. Having dealt personally with nuclear weapons and trained in SIOP, I know the US is perfectly safe without them as long as nobody else has any nuclear weapons as well. However, stacking nuclear weapons to the moon will never satisfy the emotional paranoid fear of some horrible 'others', whomsoever they may be. --Lefty!!! "

" Lefty, that's a big "as long as" and it will NEVER be the case. Don't you agree we need to keep our technology updated and our weapons useful? If your argument is that weapons technology hasn't changed at all, and the shelf-life of our 50-year-old weapons is infinite (or at least not imminent) then I can get behind reducing production, if in fact we are purchasing duplicates of duplicates. I think it would be naive of us to believe we are invincible in this world. We need to be prepared for all sorts of possibilities. I'm grateful that we have a strong military on our side, vs. the side of Islamism and dictatorial communism. For all our faults, our way of life is still the best for most. "

" Sorry kid, you aren't talking about your so called "3D politics." You are clearly a leftist, liberal, hybrid car driving person. Just live your life and don't worry about things you and the rest of society have no control over. Nukes will never disappear and they never should. "