Originally Posted by agoodfella

This is EXACTLY the kind of arrogant, inward-thinking, inward-looking, myopic, short-term thinking, "my-way-or-the-highway" thinking that has not only landed us in hot water around the world, but has contributed to the massive anti-American feeling around the world.

While America's past may not matter to the average American sitting at home stuffing our collective faces with a Big Mac watching American Idol, those very same foreign policies we consider to be "ancient history" are very real and very "real and now" for many nations (and their respective citizens) around the world.

We must acknowledge when America has had past missteps. This is clearly a situation which we must examine and, if warranted, apologize for. When America tries to espouse (what may seem to others as) grandiose ideals such as "democracy", "freedom", "equality", "humanity" and then turn around in the same breath and ignore situations such as this where we have literal or figurative "blood on our hands" -- we lose credibility (and friends) faster than you can say hypocrite.

Why is this even important you ask? These are the images and stories that get played over and over again in the hearts and minds of our enemies, those that mean us true and real harm --> from the Guantanamo Bay detention camps to Abu Ghraib, and yes, even back 60 years ago. We must set a better example. We are charged with a higher standard if we are to be a leader and a fighter / defender of freedom and democracy. When we go astray we MUST acknowledge this and correct our course of action.

Bear in mind that Bin Laden, Al Queda, other terrorists don't wake up one day, spin a "wheel of nations" and randomly pick the US to attack. They aren't mindless idiots marching off to their deaths as suicide bombers. Perhaps it would be easier if they were --> like the shooter at VT --> then we could somehow absolve ourselves of any responsibility, then we wouldn't have to ask the hard questions... like "why do they hate us?" "what have we done to deserve this?" Then perhaps we wouldn't need to delve into our own governments actions (or inactions) which, at a whim, can cause longstanding changes or harm to another nation (or peoples) seemingly out of sight and out of mind but those actions can have serious consequences (Iraq is the latest example, but history is replete with our handiwork around the world).

Why does this incident that happened 60 years ago even matter? Why should we, as Americans, give "two shits"? Because we need to start taking some ownership. We need to start asking the hard questions. We need to start repairing relationships. We need to start displaying some genuine humility, humanity. Remember:

"Those Who Forget History Are Doomed to Repeat It"