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Imagine if there was an all-out war on poverty, disease and corruption. The progress we could make.

You mean like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Poverty?

Good luck.

No, more like: Spend all defense budgets around the world on programs that reduce poverty, increase health and functioning governments.

I don't see that happening. Because someone is going to want to keep their guns, just in case.

Yes. They also want to keep the smallpox, just in case. We could have banished it from the planet entirely but we're keeping some samples of it, just in case.

It's absurd. The absurd part being, if you told me we actually got rid of it, I wouldn't believe it either. So maybe better keep some, just in case. So understandable and so stupid at the same time--absurdity.

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