Tom Murphy,  August 1, 2007

The number of American war dead - currently 3,651, and rising at an average of more than two per day - is recited daily by the US media, as well it should be. What's missing is the much deeper impact the war is having on Iraqis. Estimates of the number of dead range from the Iraqi government estimate of under 40,000 to a UN estimate of nearly 70,000 and a projection of Johns Hopkins University of over 600,000. Any of those figures dwarf the number of Americans killed in Iraq and proves an uglier reality: instead of liberating Iraqis, the war has made life there horribly dangerous. The latest evidence of this truth came this week as international relief agencies reported two horror stories: 8 million Iraqis are in dire need of emergency assistance, and 4 million Iraqis are now refugees. Iraq has less than 25 million people, so these numbers represent one-third and one-sixth of the population, respectively. Imagine if 100 million Americans had been forced into misery, or 50 million had been driven from their homes. There would be a revolution, which is exactly what we're seeing in Iraq. It's long past time to truly liberate Iraq - from the catastrophe of the war we started.

Tom Murphy,  July 25, 2007

A new poll shows the president may be convincing some Americans that the US was right to invade Iraq. This result follows extensive efforts by Bush and others in his administration to draw ties between the terrorists behind 9/11 and some of the rebels in Iraq - it's clear even to Bush that there are multiple groups of rebels among the Sunni, Shiite, Kurd and other groups in the war-torn country. And, there is no doubt that some of the people attacking US troops are tied to al-Qaida. What is in dispute is whether those enemies existed in Iraq before the US attacked, and whether the American military efforts would have been better focused on preventing al-Qaida from rebuilding itself into a potent force. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is again growing strong. In Turkey, Kurds carrying American weapons are attacking a US ally. In Pakistan, a US ally is unable to curb al-Qaida's growth. That new poll also shows that two-thirds of American's want to US presence in Iraq reduced or ended. And the president isn't likely to change that outcome until he cleans up the mess he's made.

Tom Murphy,  July 19, 2007

With the capabilities of the US military in Iraq already stretched, it is bad news that a major ally is now bombing Northern Iraq. Turkey began the bombardment in reaction to raids by Iraq-based Kurds. The US and Iraq urged them to stop, but the Turks and Kurds have been skirmishing for more than 20 years, and they are likely to continue. All this complicates an already gloomy picture, where US officials now say they've found evidence that al-Qaida in Iraq does indeed have close ties to Osama bin Laden's group, which has been growing strong at its camps in tribal Pakistan - another US ally. Of course, al-Qaida in Iraq didn't exist before the US attacked Iraq, but now poses a threat to attack on the US homeland. Does any of this make you feel safer than befoer 9/11?

Tom Murphy,  July 17, 2007

War is an aberration. Peace is the natural state. Because of that, peace can break out at any time, if we allow it. And that can happen at odd moments. Look at the standing of three weakened world leaders: George Bush, Mahmoud Abbas, and Ehud Olmert. The lame-duck president no longer has control of Congress and is desperately seeking a foreign affairs victory so that the debacle in Iraq won't become his only legacy. Abbas has lost half the still-evolving Palestinian state to the more radical Hamas party, and is trying hard to establish himself as the leader of all his countrymen. And Olmert has yet to recover from the political wounds he suffered through Israel's invasion of Lebanon last year. All three men need to put one in the win column. And that's largely why we see Olmert and Abbas shaking hands, and why Bush is so happy to support their friendship. Still, if this is a step towards creating acceptance between two countries so long at war, let's embrace it. These people - the Palestinians and the Israelis - want and deserve peace, even if stronger leaders have rejected it in the past.

Tom Murphy,  July 11, 2007

If you picture noble leaders, brilliant scientists or shrewd investors, you probably don't picture someone with the smooth face of a 25-year-old. So why do we worry so much about the signs of aging? In an an excellent attempt to answer this question, RedwoodAge.com writer Cecily O'Connor studies the millions of baby boomers who've have chosen to fight the signs of aging through surgery, chemicals, drugs and holistic methods, creating a high-risk, multibillion-dollar industry in the process. Beneath it all lies one of the great sexist beliefs in our society: that men take on character as they age while women simply grow ugly. It's just not true, but we allow this myth to persist. We've all known exceptionally beautiful old faces - Katharine Hepburn springs to mind - and we'd like to see more. In the meantime, it's encouraging to see such simple steps as drinking water, getting rest and daily facial exercises as natural (and low-cost) responses to aging, if one feels compelled to respond at all.

Tom Murphy,  July 3, 2007

Once, when all seemed lost, a good friend smiled sweetly and said: "It will all work out. Why wouldn't it?" She was right, of course. Things always work out, although not always the way we would choose. When you accept that, it becomes much easier to accept things beyond your control and to focus on those you can change. So, world terrorism? Car bombs in Baghdad and London? Can we change that? Most of us want to stop such things. And there are steps we can take in our daily lives to effect that change. All we can do is follow those steps and urge others to do the same. If enough people choose those steps, we can end world terrorism. If we don't try, it is likely to continue. Worrying about it won't help. Acting on it will.

Tom Murphy,  June 27, 2007

Recently, I've seen several op-ed pieces suggesting boomers are leaving Gen X and Gen Y in a fix when it comes to social security and Medicare. I thought about this a while and, well, hogwash! Sure there is less money going into these systems than is coming out, but the systems will only go bankrupt if the balance isn't restored. Here are three ways to fix this and preserve the system so it will also support future generations who will certainly need it. First, cap medical payments - private and public - at the rate of inflation. To allow double-digit increases in medical costs at a time when inflation runs 2-3 percent is criminal price-gouging. Second, register the 12 million illegal immigrants who live here so that they can contribute payroll taxes to support these programs. Third,promote healthier lifestyles through exercise and nutrition so that people can work and live longer without assistance. (See the following blog post.) What's the alternative? Give all the money back to the people who paid it - those who are still alive - and let Gen X and Y figure out their own retirement plans? They'd never come up with a plan as good as the one we already have. We all need to help one another on this planet.

Tom Murphy,  June 20, 2007

Sometimes it's hard to remember we're all on the same planet. In many places, people starve to death every day. In others - notably the US - people die from obesity every day. It's sad to note that four out of five baby boomers are overweight in the US, and that two-thirds of Americans of all ages fall into that category. We're not alone. In England, malnutrition is a growing concern. Even in Cuba, one third of the people are overweight. It's not that we want to be that way. Most of us try, try, try to lose weight. And most of us fail. In Havana, people complain of the high cost of fruits and vegetables, and they eat fattening junk food instead. In America, the fast-food industry pushes truly disgusting combos on us through prime time commercials - that comical melee of mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, fried chicken, cheese and muffins springs to mind. But you don't see many commercials for an apple or lettuce. It's good to see some cities and states taking steps to change that. Fast-food merchants should be held responsible when they help spread an epidemic that is killing people every day.