Why, then, do you make such a throwaway, shallow comment like "their tactic was going through Belgium"? This is exactly my point - what you're saying is a plast

Why, then, do you make such a throwaway, shallow comment like "their tactic was going through Belgium"? This is exactly my point - what you're saying is a plastic version of history, and it's only now that you're pressed on the issue that you start talking about a more complex picture. It benefits nothing but mindless patriotism. If you really are the serious historian you claim to be, you'll know just how damaging and misleading such comments are. > I don't think there's any world hegemon in history as generally benevolent, respectful, and pro-social as the US has been. Rome had some high points. Their thousand years wasn't all conquering and pillaging - there was plenty of spread of learning, industry, trade, finer culture. Yes, they did a fair amount of warfare to become top dog... but so did the US - manifest destiny, conquering large parts of Mexico, taking lands from Spain... ... "but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"... :) In any case, the "shut up and be thankful" trump card of US involvement in WWII can be countered with the "shut up and be thankful" trump card of French involvement in the US War of Independence. It's a stupid trump card to play anyway.