...and not bestowed in a red-white-and-blue gift box. Democracy is a habit and a technique. It must be practiced to be acquired, like any skill. I find it blackly humorous that the same group who thinks that economic welfare is crippling to the recipients find political welfare to be appropriate, effective and even noble.

Besides, if they want to fight, at least have the enemy put on uniforms and ID themselves, not go hiding and blend into the gen population like cowards.

A comment eerily like the ones made by British officers about Patriot fighters during the American Revolution, especially about the guerilla fighters under Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", in North Carolina. (I wanted to find an explicit quote, which is why it took me until today to reply. Haven't found one yet.)

The imperial troops are frequently dogged by guerillas. Some of the guerillas are opportunists, but some are sincere. It's those sincere ones that cause the most trouble, because they have an unfortunate habit of turning out to be patriots.

If we are beginning to see imperial patterns in our behavior, it would be wise to re-evaluate our path before we proceed to the next adventure. Empire abroad generally preceeds collapse of the Republic at home. Britain is the exception: she voluntarily divested herself of empire.