Endless war and the demoralization of the American public

[Nicholas_1982]

Should we honestly depose dictators, commit a hundred thousand troops to maintain order till democracy takes hold however long that may take?

 

[B. Kidd]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

Yes indeed. Obama was adamant about ending TWO wars. It appears he will end his term being involved in THREE wars.

I would consider the middle east 1 large theater therefore 1 large war. its 1 dragon with multiple heads.

back to the original point though, I feel like we have become numb to all this

I'm now age 62, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer proud to be an American!

I do not like to admit that, but the America that I've known and loved most of my life, has morphed into a directionless and aimless country with no vision, internally and externally. And, I do not admit this, lightly.

The new America has become an entertaiment-sports centered culture having little or no resemblance to newsworthy events combined with truly educated independent thinkers.

If I'm lucky, I'm dead in 20 years, but have enjoyed the apex of the best of what America had to offer, and, for that, I'm grateful.

Thank God that I have no grand-children.

And for those who do, I hope they enjoy their 'Grave New World'.


(BTW, I dug deep, real deep, in my memory cells.......so you may turn.......may you turn........or you may rot?...........or may you rest...............)

 

[Nicholas_1982]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

Yes indeed. Obama was adamant about ending TWO wars. It appears he will end his term being involved in THREE wars.

I would consider the middle east 1 large theater therefore 1 large war. its 1 dragon with multiple heads.

back to the original point though, I feel like we have become numb to all this

I'm now age 62, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer proud to be an American!

I do not like to admit that, but the America that I've known and loved most of my life, has morphed into a directionless and aimless country with no vision, internally and externally. And, I do not admit this, lightly.

The new America has become an entertaiment-sports centered culture having little or no resemblance to newsworthy events combined with truly educated independent thinkers.

If I'm lucky, I'm dead in 20 years, but have enjoyed the apex of the best of what America had to offer, and, for that, I'm grateful.

Thank God that I have no grand-children.

And for those who do, I hope they enjoy their 'Grave New World'.


(BTW, I dug deep, real deep, in my memory cells.......so you may turn.......may you turn........or you may rot?...........or may you rest...............)

I always love the good ole days arguments.

What good ole days are you talking about? When people of color couldn't vote, when women couldn't vote, when we could own humans, when their was no clean water act or no OSHA? Please tell me what time period you are talking about.

 

[B. Kidd]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

Yes indeed. Obama was adamant about ending TWO wars. It appears he will end his term being involved in THREE wars.

I would consider the middle east 1 large theater therefore 1 large war. its 1 dragon with multiple heads.

back to the original point though, I feel like we have become numb to all this

I'm now age 62, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer proud to be an American!

I do not like to admit that, but the America that I've known and loved most of my life, has morphed into a directionless and aimless country with no vision, internally and externally. And, I do not admit this, lightly.

The new America has become an entertaiment-sports centered culture having little or no resemblance to newsworthy events combined with truly educated independent thinkers.

If I'm lucky, I'm dead in 20 years, but have enjoyed the apex of the best of what America had to offer, and, for that, I'm grateful.

Thank God that I have no grand-children.

And for those who do, I hope they enjoy their 'Grave New World'.


(BTW, I dug deep, real deep, in my memory cells.......so you may turn.......may you turn........or you may rot?...........or may you rest...............)

I always love the good ole days arguments.

What good ole days are you talking about? When people of color couldn't vote, when women couldn't vote, when we could own humans, when their was no clean water act or no OSHA? Please tell me what time period you are talking about.

Good ole' days with bi-partisan attempted solutions. Wasn't perfect, but, yet attempted..........

 

[Slyhunter]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

War is not the problem. A government reluctant to prosecute war expeditiously and with finality is.

We will see in the upcoming election what the electorate cares about. I am not encouraged.

Locate the enemy.
Kill the enemy.
leave nation building to someone else.

 

[Nicholas_1982]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

Yes indeed. Obama was adamant about ending TWO wars. It appears he will end his term being involved in THREE wars.

I would consider the middle east 1 large theater therefore 1 large war. its 1 dragon with multiple heads.

back to the original point though, I feel like we have become numb to all this

I'm now age 62, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer proud to be an American!

I do not like to admit that, but the America that I've known and loved most of my life, has morphed into a directionless and aimless country with no vision, internally and externally. And, I do not admit this, lightly.

The new America has become an entertaiment-sports centered culture having little or no resemblance to newsworthy events combined with truly educated independent thinkers.

If I'm lucky, I'm dead in 20 years, but have enjoyed the apex of the best of what America had to offer, and, for that, I'm grateful.

Thank God that I have no grand-children.

And for those who do, I hope they enjoy their 'Grave New World'.


(BTW, I dug deep, real deep, in my memory cells.......so you may turn.......may you turn........or you may rot?...........or may you rest...............)

I always love the good ole days arguments.

What good ole days are you talking about? When people of color couldn't vote, when women couldn't vote, when we could own humans, when their was no clean water act or no OSHA? Please tell me what time period you are talking about.

Good ole' days with bi-partisan attempted solutions. Wasn't perfect, but, yet attempted..........

I like to think about good ole days as union participation, social programs, 70%+ top tax rates, factory jobs, a growing middle class, you know all that socialist economic growth and taxation from the 50s till the 80s

 

[PK1]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

---
"Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. ..."

Although i agree with you for the most part (& completely agree with your stmt above), the apathy toward those we don't cross paths with is psychologically NORMAL.
Been the "state of mind" for thousands or millions of years.
We get sympathy (empathy requires role-taking abilities & xtra pro-social motivation) for others when we experience their suffering ... thrown into our face.

Or, we perceive blatant wrongs.
9/11 was such an event. A wake up call.
Does such blatant wrongs justify all those years where the Western nations (esp US & Britain) ignored or even profited from the suffering going on in the underdeveloped & usually corrupt countries ... that we usually prefer to ignore for convenience?
I'm sure the Islamic terrorists think so, although they cite their perverted view of their religion.

Unfortunately, it is about personal convenience, about money.
Luckily, there are some empathic people who prefer pro-social activities like teaching K-12 or international aid programs who are not greedy and self absorbed. Not enough though, but that's NORMAL, unfortunately.

International travel (and not staying in 4-star hotels) is helpful to open up your brain to the 90% in the world less fortunate than you, but when you get back to the comfort of your home, memories fade, unless you are truly empahic.
One would think the Internet would help bridge the gap between richer & poorer, but that's not enough experience to affect pro-social motivations.

We need to elect extraordinary, ABNORMAL, competent & empathic leaders that recognize both political realities and who favor to bridge the unequal gaps in both the national & international communities ... like Jesus preached, supposedly.
However, an educated & less self-serving electorate is necessary ...
.

 

[B. Kidd]

Yes indeed. Obama was adamant about ending TWO wars. It appears he will end his term being involved in THREE wars.

I would consider the middle east 1 large theater therefore 1 large war. its 1 dragon with multiple heads.

back to the original point though, I feel like we have become numb to all this

I'm now age 62, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer proud to be an American!

I do not like to admit that, but the America that I've known and loved most of my life, has morphed into a directionless and aimless country with no vision, internally and externally. And, I do not admit this, lightly.

The new America has become an entertaiment-sports centered culture having little or no resemblance to newsworthy events combined with truly educated independent thinkers.

If I'm lucky, I'm dead in 20 years, but have enjoyed the apex of the best of what America had to offer, and, for that, I'm grateful.

Thank God that I have no grand-children.

And for those who do, I hope they enjoy their 'Grave New World'.


(BTW, I dug deep, real deep, in my memory cells.......so you may turn.......may you turn........or you may rot?...........or may you rest...............)

I always love the good ole days arguments.

What good ole days are you talking about? When people of color couldn't vote, when women couldn't vote, when we could own humans, when their was no clean water act or no OSHA? Please tell me what time period you are talking about.

Good ole' days with bi-partisan attempted solutions. Wasn't perfect, but, yet attempted..........

I like to think about good ole days as union participation, social programs, 70%+ top tax rates, factory jobs, a growing middle class, you know all that socialist economic growth and taxation from the 50s till the 80s

Those days are gone and not coming back.

What we are witnessing is Plutocracy morphing into full blown Corporate Fascism..........yet, our media will still tell us that we are free and our vote still counts.
As you descend into bondage, pray that God grants you one final request..........

 

[Tehon]

What I mean by the many headed dragon is that yes each country is different our policy is the same. Overthrow a dictator and hope for the best. Neither bush nor Obama understands the concept of unintended consequences

Not to take the ultimate responsibility away from the president but much of our policies are formulated by policy experts in corporate sponsored think tanks. This also helps explain the commonality between Bush policy and Obama policy. And I'm not convinced that what we see taking place in the ME is unintended.

 

[Nicholas_1982]

What I mean by the many headed dragon is that yes each country is different our policy is the same. Overthrow a dictator and hope for the best. Neither bush nor Obama understands the concept of unintended consequences

Not to take the ultimate responsibility away from the president but much of our policies are formulated by policy experts in corporate sponsored think tanks. This also helps explain the commonality between Bush policy and Obama policy. And I'm not convinced that what we see taking place in the ME is unintended.

I agree 100% that corporate profits drive foreign policy initiatives to a large , though not complete, degree. Look at the stocks that have gone up in the past 14 years. Lockheed Martin (hellfire missles) and Boeing (planes). Someone has to make the drones and the missles the drones carry and those arent free

 

[Tehon]

What I mean by the many headed dragon is that yes each country is different our policy is the same. Overthrow a dictator and hope for the best. Neither bush nor Obama understands the concept of unintended consequences

Not to take the ultimate responsibility away from the president but much of our policies are formulated by policy experts in corporate sponsored think tanks. This also helps explain the commonality between Bush policy and Obama policy. And I'm not convinced that what we see taking place in the ME is unintended.

I agree 100% that corporate profits drive foreign policy initiatives to a large , though not complete, degree. Look at the stocks that have gone up in the past 14 years. Lockheed Martin (hellfire missles) and Boeing (planes). Someone has to make the drones and the missles the drones carry and those arent free

And General Dynamics. Lester Crown of Chicago, who vouched for Obama's worthiness to the Jewish cause in '08, has close family ties with General Dynamics. And Lester vouched for Obama again in '12.
The Obama gut test

 

[Nicholas_1982]

not sure what point you are trying to make

 

[Tehon]

not sure what point you are trying to make

Dismiss it. General Dynamics is another MIC company that has profited from Obama's policies is all I was saying.

 

[Nicholas_1982]

I would think to a degree every politician has been beholden to donors in varying degrees, well except bernie sanders

 

[Tehon]

I would think to a degree every politician has been beholden to donors in varying degrees, well except bernie sanders

Of course, it is but another problem that the American people need to address with a singular focus.

I have long been intrigued by the Crown family, and in particular, Lester Crown's relationship with Obama. But it has no business in your thread, my apologies. When you brought up Lockheed Martin and Boeing, my mind immediately thought of General Dynamics, who, among many things, is in the drone business.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

14 years since 9/11.

This week we learned that our president is sending special forces as well as stepping up air missions in Syria. Now this is not actually new, we have had so called military advisors on the ground in Syria attempting to train rebels to fight for us. We have also been bombing ISIS positions in Syria. What is different is that now it's official, combat boots on the ground.

Don't worry, you probably missed the announcement because most all news has been covering how unfair the CNBC debate was.

This is the downward spiral we see in our war doctrine. a 14 year war on terror. The invasion of a soverign nation and the removal of its leader. A massive unmanned aerial war led by predator drones equipped with hellfire missles. A surveillance state that has abolished any expectation of privacy in our communications and internet searches. An assassination program that targeted and killed 2 U.S. citizens without due process. War crimes against captured combatants. The rendition program. Selling military hardware that is then used against us. A proxy war with Iran and now Russia.

We as citizens have allowed our political leaders to do basically whatever the hell they want with no accountability.

But why have we done this?

Well, I believe part of it is because we have been at war so long now we as citizens just don't care for the most part. We have become so numbed and disillusioned that we have given the government a blank check.

If their was a draft tomorrow people would wake up for sure. If the police walked into your house without a warrant and put wiretapping devices on your phone and computer people would wake up for sure.

Unfortunately we are so disconnected from what is happening that we choose not to think about it. And when the general public does start to think about it the government just waves the flag and yells terrorism a little bit so we become complacent.

Heroes exist in this world and some wear a battle dress uniform, but some also sit at their home computers.

Edward Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Jeremy Scahill
Glen Greenwald

these are heroes that have come to be demonized because they choose to hold the government accountable

This is just a Cranberries thing, Everybody Else Is Doing It, Why Can't We? Other countries are fighting in Syria like they all used to in Lebanon. Defense contractors are thus making money in those countries selling bombs and bullets. So our contractors told their politician lackeys to deploy some cannon fodder so they can get a piece of that bloodpie.

America sucks militarily and for incredibly simple reasons. Despite how we appear on paper, the reality is if Syrian rebels or ISIS lose a hundred people in a day that's jus a hundred faces put up on buildings as martyrs. If America loses a hundred people in a day we'll impeach the President and crucify everyone who supported the deployment decision.

America doesn't tolerate body bags and coffins coming off planes so we're irrevolcably disadvantaged from future conflicts.

 

[Tehon]

What I mean by the many headed dragon is that yes each country is different our policy is the same. Overthrow a dictator and hope for the best. Neither bush nor Obama understands the concept of unintended consequences

Not to take the ultimate responsibility away from the president but much of our policies are formulated by policy experts in corporate sponsored think tanks. This also helps explain the commonality between Bush policy and Obama policy. And I'm not convinced that what we see taking place in the ME is unintended.

I agree 100% that corporate profits drive foreign policy initiatives to a large , though not complete, degree. Look at the stocks that have gone up in the past 14 years. Lockheed Martin (hellfire missles) and Boeing (planes). Someone has to make the drones and the missles the drones carry and those arent free

To help reinforce my point about corporate sponsorship of think tanks, here is the 2014 Annual report for the Brookings Institute. It gives an overview of what they do and lists contributors.

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/About/Content/annualreport/2014annualreport.pdf

 

[Claudette]

The ironic thing is that partisan hacks will say Bush did this or Obama did that but what you don't realize is that Obama is an extension of Bush on foreign policy. They are identical.

The ironic thing is that you still blame Bush after all these years. "Endless wars" usually result from from Democratic Presidents playing politics to placate the left wing of their party, not really wanting to win but afraid of losing.

Bush invaded Iraq because Sadaam was refusing to allow inspections for WMDs. The fact that he either didn't have them or hid them was not discovered until after the fact. A more legitimate criticism of Bush was his naive belief in rebuilding Iraq into a modern functioning democracy. However, Obama's hell-bent intention to turn our military victory into a defeat makes this a moot point anyway. This "endless war" now belongs to him.

I agree.

We should have done what we needed to do in Iraq and then left. Let them rebuild their own country.

It never ceases to amaze me how we are always rebuilding after war. Let them rebuild their own countries.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

War should be outlawed except in the case of actual invasion or attack. But sending troops into another country needs to stop. If Syria comes here, fine, handle it. But our going there only makes us the bad guy.

We'd scream bloody murder if other countries sent hostile forces into the US yet seem to tolerate that when we're the one doing it to others. The USA has benefitted too long from its geographic isolation having oceans seperating us from those we make war with. If we were as close as most everyone else to countries that could pose a military threat to us I think our foreign policy would reflect that and wouldn't be so quick to attack other nations.

If mass city evacuations like during major hurricanes happened every time we went to war because cities were being bombed I think we'd be more reluctant to engage in this war for profit.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

We'd scream bloody murder if other countries sent hostile forces into the US

They have, and more arrive every day.