Lincoln's War

In his own words, Lincoln did not wage his war to free the slaves. Google his August 22, 1862 letter to Horace Greeley if you don't believe me. But even if he did, so what? Does ending slavery justify a war that killed upwards of 800,000 people--including 50,000 Southern civilians (many of them slaves!)--and left countless others maimed, disfigured and homeless?

The virus infects the political culture to this day. Americans shrug off recurring episodes of collateral damage inflicted by their government--a small price, they assure themselves, for liberating Islamic women from their burquas! Homicidal humanitarianism kills!