During Guatemala's civil war, the government forced tens of thousands of farmers into so-called model villages under strict army control to isolate them from the guerrillas. Hundreds were left to die.

While a comparison with the Cuban Crisis does little to reassure us, it can offer some lessons on how our government avoided disaster in an even worse situation. We have been closer to the brink and still found a way to walk back.

The photo shows a young boy, about 10 years old, carrying his dead little brother on his back.

To those of us who campaigned against the Vietnam War as unjust and unwinnable, Daniel Ellsberg was a hero.

Standing on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on a clear, crisp Christmas day, Pope Francis spoke about the world's children before formally giving his blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

The continued costs and casualties alone should lead parents, taxpayers and indeed politicians to care.