The U.S. military budget is about as big as the next eight countries combined. I suspect our politicians are doing the bidding of the military industrial complex. They sell it to the American people as freedom and patriotism. Want to understand how politics works in America? Always follow the money.

I know. Stupid ain't it?
I know those kids are doing what they are told and they think they are keeping me safe, but I can not think of a reason why rattling around Khandihar does that.

It's a 'snow job' by the powers that be to keep the young and ill informed gullible enough to buy into gawd, and country meme to possibly sign up to become an underpaid expendable mercenary unit to advance the fascist agenda that's been Amerika's governmental agenda since after WW2.

I have an unsubstantiated feeling that the way we are living our lives (often with a lot of chaotic opinions about others ) comes to a head sometimes and war is needed to bring the future survivors together for a while till it all builds up again - I think we are really not that nice or confident of ourselves to stop this happening.

I could argue your point in everyone of the little wars you will bring up with the domino effect but at the end you may be right and then again... you fight over there to avoid having to fight over here later. ussr always, always wanted to fight us but never found the way to be able to beat us. If you didn't served you don't understand the deep concept of the Cold War. Those 200,000 troops waiting in Germany in Stuttgart alone. Plus all the other bases... 500,000 total? Germany was a fortified nation like never during WW2. But we destroyed and bankrupted the ussr and dropped our guard... russia got us beaten now. I don't want us to be the world police... we don't need to be the leading nation of the world and right now we are not. But world politics under present administration is a playground in chaos. Enjoy the show.

the UK has been doing that for hundreds of years until recently and now America seems to have taken on that role.

Resource wars.

I mean we're an occupying empire.

And is this Star Wars?

.... I support Palestine is the only other thing I'd say here.

I agree with you, because I have always thought that.