By Samantha Goldman

Do U.S. Wars Bring Democracy and Save Lives?

Yesterday's New York Times featured two photos; one of Hiroshima in 1945 after the atomic bomb, and one of Hiroshima today, glittering with new construction, leading the reader to believe that something good came out of that heinous crime which killed at least 129,000 people.

We think the pairing below tells more about the shameful history and present day reality of the U.S. at war and what must be learned; although the bottom photo could also have been a picture of Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Yemen.

August 6, 1945 Hiroshima:

2004, Fallujah:

Was it really about safety and freedom? Do U.S. wars bring democracy and save lives?