We absolutely do not have to sacrifice human lives to grow, and the lessons learned in other countries are readily available to study.
The question seems to be what’s an acceptable threshold, why, and who. These aren’t easy questions. They’ve been with us since humans first started forming tribes.
(I said much the same thing as you in an adjacent comment, but it’s worth framing the sentiment in a way that’s not mistaken. Otherwise it’s little more than dogma, whether on one side or the other.)