Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
If a bet on life and national fate is being made, you darn well had better judge us upon our recent actions. They do define us. Lincoln isn't going to come back from the dead and lead the risen divisions of the Army of the Potomac to anybody's rescue.
Our recent actions only define what our leadership has bought into over a period of significant change in the global environment, while having their thinking deeply rooted in the lessons learned from 60 years of Cold War. Now leaders are looking at lessons learned from 10 years of chasing "terrorism" to set the next course, still resting upon that Cold War foundation.

No, the Cold War era does not define us, nor does the 20 years of post-Cold War. One has to look at the whole, and of the whole, these two recent eras are far more anomalous than definitive of the American character and nation.

You can't measure a 10' pond with a 6" stick. Same is true for history. We do seem to be forgetting who we are though and that is sad. A lot of short sticks in DC. Read that anyway you want.