One of my friends wished us all a happy Memorial Day. Memorial Day is not a ‘happy’ holiday, it is a day for honoring those who have died serving our country.
The best way to honor them is to resolve to not send another generation to the other side of the world to fight stupid, useless, endless wars that only plant the seeds for the next war.
In WW2 we reluctantly entered into a war with two of the most powerful military machines ever built. In 3 1/2 years both were reduced to rubble and had surrendered unconditionally. We then helped them rebuild and both are now staunch allies.
We entered a war with radical Islam 18 years ago, and we are no closer to winning than on day one, and we have radicalized much of the Muslim world against us.
The only way to fight a war is to do what is necessary to win unconditional surrender by the enemy. If we are not willing to do that, then don’t get into it other than as a defensive posture.
We should not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries, no matter how loathsome their leaders may be if they are not a danger to us or our allies.
We should not send troops to other peoples countries unless we intend to utterly conquer that country and then come home. Twenty year wars of occupation only instill hatred against us that will be visited on our grandchildren.
Honor our fallen soldiers by not getting any of their children and grandchildren killed.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
Well written and with a great point.
All the wars we have entered since WW2 have been foreign policy decisions that have had mixed or disastrous results.
More importantly, those wars have eroded Americans’ faith in the government. They exposed lies by our leadership as egregiously found out in the Vietnam War and again in the invasion of Iraq.
Eisenhower was correct In his warnings. When so much economic and ensuing political power lies in the hands of arms manufacturers, wars and other military muscle flexing is inevitable.
Jobs in all 50 states are so tied to the arms industry that Congress cannot consider cutbacks because of the almighty importance of jobs.
The subtle, but inevitable pressure to use our military gives credence to the aphorism that when you have the biggest hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
You are right the the word “happy” should not be the greeting. We should reflect on the incredible value of the personnel we’ve lost for political reasons. And, more Importantly, remember their deaths should not be in vain as we consider future policy decisions.
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Well, we should cry, but in the end, we only perpetuate war by exalting its sacrifices rather than accepting it as a waste.
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Coming from Sweden, I recall that in the olden days of Swedish power, Kings could not go to war without the permission of the peasants.
Keep in mind that Swedish peasants were independent farmers and not the near slave-like variety in the rest of Europe.
Wars were not planned in planting or harvesting seasons. Also, the peasants had to be sold on the idea that there was a benefit for them. Absent that, the King might very well lose his position.
Kind of like our Constitution which gave the sole power of war declaration to the people via Congress.
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