Explaining to an American generation that has never known peace how the US could have chosen peace in 2001, and avoided disaster after disaster.

The US in 2001 could have got the Taliban's help in kicking out al-Qa'ida, in exchange for peace with the US. The Taliban had offered such a deal a short while before.

The history in the US since World War II has been a series of wars, massacres, and coups.

Ancient Greek democracy had problems too. Athens under democratic government converted its alliance into an extractive empire, fought a war to defend that empire, and eventually lost, partly due to mismanagement. Along the way, it too committed massacres.