Killing people and destroying stuff is why they exist. The threat of it is sometimes sufficient but history has shown that often they'll actually have to go out and do it.

Whether or not people agree with the reasons and the use of the force, that is a political question not a military question.

I lean towards pacifism myself - but to think that a military exists for other reasons is to muddy ones thinking and introduce bad data.

Did I say this? I sure didn't mean to.