I agree with some of your original post's observations, but not necessarily all its conclusions. True, the core US has not been seriously threatened since the War of 1812, and very few of our wars have been for "freedom" (exceptions: Revolutionary, Civil and WWII). Still the US does have legitimate international interests and committments which it must defend.

Some, but not all of our wars have been strictly for increasing national wealth and power, and that has played a role in several others, even those we had no choice but to fight for other reasons.

I don't really want to get into a detailed critical analysis of our history right now, and I recognize that the verdict of history is constantly being modified anyway, but let me just go on record by saying I am not a pacifist and I think that the US is neither a brutal, imperialist power nor a a noble champion of freedom. The truth, as always, falls somewhere in between.

My "patriotic" feelings about Memorial Day are about the Americans who fight those wars. Soldiers offer their lives for the nation, they deserve our respect. Whether those wars are just is NOT for them to decide. We do not want soldiers who can refuse to fight a war, or conversely, insist on getting into one. That is a decision for the collective society. The soldier then, is ready for the ultimate sacrifice, even though he is barred from even participating in whether or not he should make it (except for his vote as an ordinary citizen). That's a heavy load to dump on a teenager.

And we should never forget, it ain't the Rambos and the thirtysomething wisecracking heroes of John Wayne movies that die brutal and pointless deaths in war, it's kids we often do not allow to vote or drink. And the ones fighting for the other side are no different.