Since 9/11, our nation has been engaged in a global war on terror.  This war led us to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq.   Thousands have perished or been maimed by these conflicts. We have spent well over $500 billion on the war on terror.

President Bush has identified our enemy as  the “evil doers”.  These “evil ones” are known as the Taliban, or Hamas, or Al Qiada.   Here at home, we can only view this war on television, except for the inconvenient security checks at our airports.

In so many ways, average Americans go on about their lives, hardly noticing that this nation is indeed at war.  Victory in this war will be elusive and difficult to define.

And in all probability, we will be waging this so-called war on terror for decades to come.

We are certainly the target of terrorists, as the now absent Twin Towers constantly affirm.  But the age-old question still remains.  Is it better to fight this war with bread, rather than bombs?  Life rarely gives us the luxury of black and white answers.

But I would contend that we could certainly benefit from more bread and fewer bombs.

As we witness a global food shortage and an rising tide of out-right starvation in Africa and parts of Asia, we must bear in mind that empty stomachs are the fertile fields where extremists plant the seeds of intolerance, fanaticism and terrorism.

It’s time that America demonstrated more compassion for the poor and needy on this planet.  If we were more interested in developing self-sufficient nations, we would begin to make more friends to insolate us from the indefensible charges of imperialism, decadence and greed.

Our enemies certainly understand that we are more than capable of defending ourselves.

But this war just can’t be won with bombs alone.  It can be won if the world can see who we really are.  We are a generous and caring people, imperfect, but not unwilling to change.  We cannot win this war on the streets of Baghdad.  The new battlefield of the war on terror will be fought in the hearts and minds of the world’s hungry.  While man cannot live by bread alone, he certainly cannot live without bread at all.  Bread, for bombs!