Bonnie, the gloomy years of McCarthyism are over. The Cold War is over. The 'communist threat' doesn't exist anymore. Labelling political spectrums as communist/socialist/marxist is not only extremely outdated but quite simplistic. As is you world view. And btw, what's wrong with being progressive? Progressive in what context?

How can you say what you are writing is not a histrionic vendetta when you don't even know what it means? i.e. Avinoam: "These guys are not heroes, they are nothing but a forces of destruction in the service of various neo-colonialist, murdering U.S. administrations." If you don't know what a word means, then look it up. Dictionary.com is very useful.

I know what vendetta means, I just coulnd't figure out what 'historic' vendetta means. Forgive me for being so pedantic.

Pedantic. Hehehe. She said histrionic.

Now it makes sense :)

Histrionic" does not seem like the best choice in words here to describe what Avinoam has been saying here. Histrionic means things like:

"Characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affected, meaning possibly to speak or behave in an artificial way to make an impression." Another descriptor would be "melodramatic."

While Avinoam maybe could have picked a better venue for his concerns, and to voice the effects and traumas for himself and for his family's experience; I seriously doubt that it is worth all the hub bub that is being squandered on him over this.

Nit-picking over weather or not one country gets or does not get the same kind of flack over their involvement in current or past wars only masks the real problem at hand.

Individuals or countries who cannot stand to be challenged in any way, cause a lot of the world's friction. Why not see Avinoam's opinions as an opportunity to show people the good points re the American Military, and to show that you will love him anyways? I mean, how else can the problems inherent in his kind of opinions be solved?

I apologize to all who felt I got personal in my comments. But I cannot apologize for any of my negative feelings about the military forces of either of our respective countries. Not all is good in that area; and hopefully ones such as Avinoam will remember that the converse is also true, and that not all is bad either.

Avinoam; you have to remember that as you do your Phd in history, that "History" is in danger of becoming activist in nature; if we are unwilling to look at all sides. There is nothing worse than activist "history" books! While I believe your concerns; and see them as legit; I also see great danger of going overboard to where you become one of those activist "dudes" who promotes mostly his own personal experience, opinions and feelings as "history." Many different religions do this; they all have their own "true" brands of history. Don't become one of those who cannot tell what is reality because your Phd morphs into an activist, anti-US cult.

And, since you do appear to have interest in Christian things; please, also remember, that "History" is in essence, "HIS-STORY" When you can consider the part of your Phd dealing with the US, in light of "His-Story," meaning, the story of Jesus; then you will be a true historian who really knows his stuff! (LOL and I WILL BUY YOUR BOOKS!)

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You know its just amazing to me that a little tribute to our military can cause such a outburst. The problem I see is the US is always slapped down because we never honor our heroes, but it looks like we're slapped down for honoring them as well. It would be one thing if I were uplifting Satan, and giving him a tribute for his outstanding war against all of man kind. Than I could understand all this outburst. So if Stan wants to delete or close this thread, that would be fine with me. So I would like to apologies to those who have a problem with the US. And I thank those that came to the defense of this great nation and for what we do throughout the world. We are the first if not one of the first to help all that are in trouble, we give more of our means than most if not all other countries put together, and no matter what our situation is here in the US we find a way to stick together and help out where ever needed.

This will be my last post on this tribute.

pk

Fair enough; but you might want to stop and think a little more deeply about how this kind of "we are first" statements come across; especially when other nations do just as much with what they have got, and especially with people like Avinoam. To just keep saying to them how your nation is "best" sure don't help. If that's what you are giving a 'tribute" to; I can't support that. Last time I looked; our two nations were working quite well together, on a number of current disasters, and no one was worried about who was "first" or "best." That is something I can and do support.