I can't answer all of the other stuff from this post much less Rainking's because I have to go to bed, its damn near 3am. HOWEVER - I had to throw this in. When we talk about 'peace', I think you have to think in terms of the world outside the USA. Our CIVILIAN population has been at EXTREME peace, to the point where while the rest of the world wonders where the next meal will come from, or whether they will be locked up or killed for attending an underground church not controlled by the state, or just trying to stay alive in a brutal place like Africa, our big concerns are ATM fees and recycled paper. We're concerned with meaningless minutia, and alot of us are lazy and complacent, bitter, jaded, whiny, damn annoying. Its the curse of a peaceful, prosperous society to forget how they got all they have in the first place. SO I say we have been at peace. I think it is good policy to support foreign uprisings if they aid in our cause and especially if they spread democracy. We have not always made wise decisions in that area, but I think the generalizations of people like Chomsky who would basically claim we have made a career out of establishing dictators and killing civilians are exaggerations of the worst and most irresponsible kind. These actions of ours have often been for the greater good, and I believe that even most of our leaders who I have disagreements with have good intentions...usually.
If we had simply been engaging in a more proactive anti-terrorist campaign since the 80's (the sort which Ollie North often said we needed) and 90's, we wouldn't worry about the fact that we gave bin Laden weaponry decades ago. We weren't giving him license to kill our people, we were not befriending him, although he at that time was not who he is today. Much like how we partnered with Russia in WW2, we were allowing a potential threat to help us defeat a common enemy. Its a gamble, but the stakes would be lower if we didn't have people like McGovern, Daschle and Gore always looking to thwart and emasculate military efforts and even intelligence systems (the CIA was basically neutered in the early 90's).
I respect how you put your thoughts out there, I can tell you're not just a reactionist. I'm not either, if you can believe it. I'm someone obsessed with history, and am aware of its cyclical nature. I have no desire to delude myself. I don't know if the East and West will ever be able to find peace, but I think a free Iraq that has a chance to prosper could be a start. I believe at SOME point conflict is inevitable somewhere, though. However, it is through vigilance that potential threats do not become the next great enemy. Churchill was ridiculed openly in Britain for his call to try and stop Germany in their tracks during Hitler's early days. Churchill was a joke. Its just that he was right, and 6 million jews and plenty of others were murdered. Society, a meaningless thing resulting from people just being around each other cannot solve the fact that evil men (I know thats a no-no to say around here -how naive of me!) with a lust for power and personal gain will always be around, and that many will be driven or lucky enough to find both. Its all history as far as I'm concerned, and it is MY hope that we do not HAVE to repeat it, though like you I can't be too optimistic about the future.
