But, we were always the 'good guys'. Didn't anyone ever watch the movies or read the history books carefully emphasizing all of our good points and our good causes?
I knew there was a good substantive reason I liked you.
An honest man with an unbiased view of reality.
And yet despite all the flaws and all the wickedness that emanated from within this "experiment", God used it for His purposes. Bringing His people from a continent of darkness and persecution, Has have them a nation in which the protestant ethic of a religion without a Pope and a state without a king, and give an environment in which religious liberty could flourish. Took a while to learn though... The Puritans wanted a theocracy with them in charge. Death was the result if you refused to attend church more than twice in a row. Rhode island was the first genuine place where religious liberty could be found... But even there it was only tolerated rather than truly free.
Vietnam has for a long time been an itch on my back needing a scratch from time to time. To young to serve, but not too young to question. I always had misgivings about that war, despite the hype and the proximity to my home in NZ, and the active deployment of Australian and new Zealand forces there, there was ever something about that war that I couldn't nail down. Those misgivings grew after it finished when several books were written revealing the cruelty and the devastating weaponry being used for the first time in war. Napalm... Agent orange... The indifference to "collateral damage"... Meaning civilians.
What I learned 20 years later that even to this day isn't generally publicized was there involvement of the Vatican in promoting the war and the events that led to it, including the assassination of president Kennedy who was reluctant to get involved beyond sending observers. Frequent visits to the white house from then Cardinal Spellman couldn't convince Kennedy either. Then he was killed. Then the war began in earnest. And thousands of American, Australian and Kiwi troops died and suffered horrendous injuries and are still suffering from them with little or no thanks from anyone. The war was lost. South Vietnam was in the hands of communists. The Catholic ruling family of south Vietnam was gone. And all those who opposed the war were designated hippies and drug addicts... They certainly weren't 'Patriots'.
Dominionism today has overrun the protestant churches in America. I see America as the second beast of Revelation 13 now forming. Had the appearance of a lamb... Professed Christ like character and practise... But in reality spoke as the dragon, and supported the dragons agenda, particularly today in her promotion of globalist one world government and religion under the banner of the Vatican.
Ironically... Or supernaturally... Without the US where would Protestantism have turned to for help? Quite possibly without a wilderness to run to, Protestantism may have been overrun by the counter reformation and died not long after it started.
KJV Revelation 12:13-17
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.