It's a familiar enough phenomenon in American society: buy now, pay later. It's become so common to our way of life that we don't even think twice about the prospects and commitments it entails. Interestingly enough, I've recently come to the conclusion that the same mentality is present regarding the "War on Terror," which could lead to more dangerous consequences than credit card debt.

Most Americans seem to believe that our actions in Afghanistan are justified, and that may be true. I'm going to go out on a limb, however, and suggest that we're not going about it in the best way.

We call the Taliban cowards (Sept. 24, pentagon spokesperson), but the hypocrisy of this statement is laughable. Who, praytell, has engaged in the most cowardly acts in this war? As our stealth bombers strike from the upper atmosphere, authorities have the audacity to call the enemy cowardly?

This is military propaganda at its finest. For those of you who don't believe that this is the case, I also suggest reading the pamphlets we have recently showered the Afghan people with instructing them on our impervious military and our overall superiority. Is sending messages of impending doom not terror at its height? Are these people not living in the grips of the very fear we seek to eradicate at the hands of those who fashion themselves deliverers?

Further, how many innocent people have we doomed to a slow death in the coming months with our actions? The number of displaced Afghans grows each day, with more than 2 million already in Pakistan and more being turned away at the border. These people are living in tent communities, and without serious aid cannot survive the Asian winter.

The help they need must be on the way now to get there in time, but the U.N. and our own government have been silent on these issues stemming directly from U.S. action in Afghanistan. Would not this be a better use for the millions of charity dollars raised lately than dividing it among attack survivors? Is not saving life more important than reparations?

It has become unacceptable to have U.S. military casualties since the Gulf War, but it seems innocent foreigners are not extended the same grace. On the topic of the Asian winter, it is quite interesting that the Pentagon thinks that it can use it to its own advantage. I suppose that Napoleon, Hitler, and Brezhnev thought they could to the same thing, but failed. Perhaps the U.S. will be the first outside invader to use the Asian winter to its own advantage, but what are the odds, really? As our experiences with North Korea have shown us, in times of hardship the armies are always the first to receive food and shelter at the expense of the people.

So as we sit half a world away hoping to purchase justice and security now, let us remember that we will have to pay a price tomorrow. Those innocent lives we sacrifice now will lead to more animosity towards us, guaranteed.

For those of you who think this war is a noble thing, I suggest reading Mark Twain's The War Prayer. For those of you who think we can escape the consequences of our self-righteous acts, try Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.

• Justice: who pays and when?