What you say is indisputable. Back in the'80s, I was in a conversation with a Liberal about the (then-current) problem of hunger in Ethiopia. She advocated money, as in "Live-Aid". I said that a FRACTION of the money raised by backslapping, self-important rock stars would be more than enough to solve the problem. She asked, wide-eyed, "How?"
I said that a mercenary force of sufficient strength to overthrow the government that was CAUSING the starvation would cost almost nothing compared to the vast sums which would shortly be funneled to the dictators of that nation.
I figured that a "Wild Geese" type op would take all of a week to eliminate said thugs and return the country to its people, along with the food. Absent that, said I, no solution to the problem would work.
She told me that I was a "Reaganesque" warmonger, and that LOVE, not hate could solve all. Of course.
I felt sorry for one so ignorant. So I gave her cab fare the next day.
Oh yeah, and installing a COMMIE to run South Africa, has really worked wonders, for that nation. ( /sarcasm )
HA! ... I went to Live-Aid .. and I still have my T-shirt to prove it ..
In some ways your friend is right .. Love can solve a lot of problems .. but for that to work .. the Hate (dictators) needs to be rid of and needs to be taken out first ..
Take a look at Zimbabwe .. from what I have read there are many beautiful parts with many resources and farms to feed the whole country .. But because of Mugabe and his merry gang of thugs stealing the land and giving it to their friends and family who won't work the land .. it is a matter of time before you will see starvation among the people living there also ..