The natural impulse when one has a strong interest in a 'problem' is to DO something, but when you can't really get a handle on 'exactly' what to do, it may indeed be best to get out of the way!

In WWII, there were armies of nations, competing on open battlefields with (mostly) clear ideas of who and where the enemies were. Even in Japan, once the Emperor said "surrender", it was over. The Japanese did not mount an insurgency and start sniping. Iraq & Afghanistan are a very different sort of problem....even those who sort of want our help don't like us much. Bush and his advisors don't seem to get the implications of that.

To reply to the original post....it IS, to a great extent, simply too much access to news and more information about the problems of others than individuals can easily process. Even if I read about Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir, I can only type so much, and there are so many issues competing for attention. I try to follow the news and say what I can about 'hot' issues, but there are experts following the details, and involved in providing aid....I cannot go there, and I cannot afford to give much on a retirement income....so I just try to be aware.