To everyone else in the western world, November 11 is Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, a day to contemplate the lessons from and the ending of the Great War. WWI of course destroyed Europe, setting the stage for fascism and communism, and ended the longest and fastest period of economic growth and improvement in living standards in modern history.
In America, today is Veterans’ Day, and we are expected to celebrate soldiering and pretend that the wars into which politicians have thrown our young men have all been for our benefit, specifically the protection of our freedoms. It’s just another opportunity to beat the drums, like staging a ballgame on the deck of an aircraft carrier.