I often wonder if the reason we didn't generate the intense hatred of the US military during WWII despite doing some pretty horrific things such as the firebombing of Dresden and nuking of Japan is because by the time we resorted to those methods, the target countries had amassed a huge amount of collective guilt about their imperialism.

I think that's the danger about preemption. You haven't allowed that citizen guilt develop.

Even though Iraq had plenty to be guilty about as far as their inner turmoil, they had been smacked down during their previous imperialistic attempt and the population wasn't suffering anymore from the guilt of moving beyond their borders. That's a dangerous step for a country to take and it has a huge impact on the ethos of its citizenry. Suddenly they're not the innocents anymore. Basic human ethics precludes people from violating the lives and property of others and rationalizations have to take place in order for people to live with their little versions of Manifest Destiny. Eventually though the guilt wins out and the cruel fates that inevitably they get in return are almost accepted as justice.

I think history has shown by now that any group out to take over the world is simply planning their own suicide.

Art