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I simply don't see any of the wars in the past 50 years (maybe even in the entire American history) as defending the citizen's of America's civil rights (especially non-WASPS).
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I'll bite. WWII -- Germany and Japan declared war on us. Although we were protecting British ships in the early days of the war, US policy was we were neutral. Germany declared war on us and attacked our east coast. Many Navy ships were lost during that time. Civilians were doing more to protect the coast than our military. Then Japan attacked us, again without provocation. If we would have just sat back and let these two countries rape us, Japan and Germany would have fought each other on our soil, oops, their soil. Simply because we were the enemy we would be killed. Our military defended our freedom to be alive. After the war, we helped put these countries back on their feet! What victorious party has done that before?
Korea and Vietnam. My relatives, father and uncles, and grandmothers fought in these wars. Yes, they were wars, not snidely "conflicts." Again another country thinks they are the better and because of our treaties, in we go to defend the oppressed. Vietnam I personally think the US wasn't involved enough. If the powers-that-be weren't so d*** concerned about China, the entire Republic would be free. When we were there in South Korea, and North Korea was in kill mode, the South was so happy to see us. South Korea doesn't much care for us now. This time we should let the North takeover. Welcome to Communist re-education camps. If they let them live, they will either be brutally forced to accept the doctrine, or be killed. There's no trial, no freedoms, no allowed disagreement. Either participate fully or die. In either case, once the conqueror has a taste of victory, they want more and will soon be trouncing other third-world countries. Our military defended our freedom to think that other people should have the freedoms we enjoy.
I have a civil liberty to think and breathe. To be female and wear as sexy or as conservative of clothes that I like. To complain about Clinton, Democrats, the neighbors, and other government officials. I can be totally responsible for my own life and death. Whether I have McDonalds for lunch or live in a cold or warm environment. I can commit a crime and be treated better than some countries royalty while jailed, or get off on a technicality because some cop I beat up didn't read me my rights in my native language. I can be a bigot or give Mother Teresa a run for her sainthood, and it's ok. I can hate or love anyone. If I am hurt, I can sue. My lawyers will get the money, but that's a different story. I can read a liberal or a conservative newspaper. I can travel for days and not need to show my ID to anyone. I can fly for hours and not talk to anyone, but there is someone there if I need to.
Now two slimeball organizations want me (and you) dead. Terrorists and the government of North Korea. I’m interfering with their complete control of the planet. Hah hah. I'm alive. And that just makes their blood boil.
We'd never survive under their paranoid hatred. We know what freedom is.
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What about Slavery, the near eradication of the Native-Americans and the oppression of nearly all non-white Americans at one time or another (even white minorities have not been excluded-Irish, Italians, Greek, etc...)? Anti-Muslim sentiments are no surprise bearing in mind the history the U.S. has on it's shoulders.
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As a country, we generally don't sell people into slavery anymore. Some Native American tribes (Indians dabnabit!) are doing quite well with their casinos. The African tribes selling their spoils of war to us for slaves has mostly ceased. Yes, there is a black market in slavery and it would be foolish to deny its existence. We try to be tolerant and the media shoves it in our face the second one is not (You looked at me wrong! Mom! Make him stop. Wah!). We learn from our past, sometimes (Let's remove Sadam this time. Oh, war is bad, we should let him continue to harbor terrorists.) The extremes are "we the U.S. are perfect" and "we the U.S. are terrible and must be destroyed." Reality is somewhere in-between.
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but this is my point of view and I thought I'd share it. A discussion can't hurt, can it?
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And that is my point of view. Many of our military died to allow us the freedom to have this discussion.
Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein