A day to remember

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the "day that will live in infamy," the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II. While much has changed since that fateful day, I think it is important that we pause today to remember those who gave their lives on that Sunday morning and in the four years after. I think it is important to remember the lessons we should have learned from that world-altering experience.
The attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States finally into the war that had gripped the world since Sept. 1, 1939, when Adolph Hitler overwhelmed Poland. At the end of that war, we had become the world's first nuclear power, and the undisputed superpower. It has been a position we have held ever since, though some would argue that we're beginning to slip from that lofty perch.
World War II is notable in that it is the last war we fought that was strictly constitutional and that was actually declared by Congress. We've had plenty of military engagements since then -- Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq (twice) and Afghanistan -- but World War II was the last war where we were attacked first, and that was completely justified.
World War II also was notable because it ushered in the age of nuclear warfare. For the first time, we had created a weapon so powerful that we finally had the ability to destroy ourselves. It put an end to America's previous policy of isolationism. And it firmly established us as the world's most powerful nation.
Since that "infamous" day and the end of World War II, we have used that unbridled power to prevent the spread of communism (Korea, Vietnam) and to help others (removing Manuel Noriega in Panama and the first Gulf War). We have, in effect, become the world's police force. Every time there's a perceived injustice, America swoops in to save the day. That has engendered a lot of goodwill for America in many parts of the world. But have we learned anything from being the world's undisputed No. 1 for the past seven decades? I can think of several lessons we should have learned by now:
1. Creating the nuclear bomb may have been the biggest mistake we ever made: Energy considerations aside, I think any humane person can agree that creating the world's first nuclear weapon was a mistake. Many World War II vets have argued with me over the years, saying that "the bomb" saved thousands, if not millions, of lives, by putting a quick end to the war. That may be true. But it's also true that hundreds of thousands of innocent people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And the truth is, we could have won the war without ever dropping the first bomb.
At the time of the first bombing, Allied forces were engaged in a campaign of "island hopping," and were approaching Tokyo. Allied forces in Europe were on the verge of capturing Berlin. It might have taken longer, but we could have won the war without slaughtering all those innocent women and children.
And what has the "nuclear age" brought us, in the long term? It was inevitable that other nations would eventually decipher our nuclear secrets. Today, there are five confirmed nuclear states, and three more that are known or believed to possess the weapons. Two of those states -- India and Pakistan -- are sworn enemies. The other -- North Korea -- is led by a reclusive dictator who is widely considered to be unstable. Our world is actually less safe than we were at the end of World War II. We are sitting on a powder keg, and it wouldn't take much for one of our enemies to light the match.
2. With great power comes great responsibility: In large part, I think the United States has done a good job of using its power responsibly. It's hard to argue with fighting to prevent the spread of communism or removing a diabolical dictator from power. But I believe the past decade since 9/11 has shown us the flip side of that equation.
It's not enough to just flex our muscles and remove a leader we don't like. If we're going to play nation-builder, we need to think things through. We need to plan. What happens after the dictator is gone? Are we prepared to stay in that country long-term and rebuild all that we've destroyed? Are we willing to intervene if a civil war breaks out between opposing groups? And how do we decide which countries to go into and which leaders to depose? There are a lot of dastardly dictators in the world. Are we going to get rid of all of them?
The key here is to establish some kind of standard. I have no problem with helping out other countries that can't help themselves. But we don't have the blood or the treasure available to us to fix every country's problem, and we shouldn't try. We have our own problems here at home that need attention before we traipse around the world trying to fix everyone else's.
3. Our veterans are an invaluable untapped resource. They deserve to be taken care of, and we should do all we can to learn from them: One of the things that makes my blood boil is how this country treats its veterans. It seems like every time there's a budget crisis in this country, veterans' benefits are among the first thing to go on the chopping block. That's wrong.
Our veterans have fought and sacrificed to make it possible for us to enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted. Many, especially those from previous generations, were promised that if they would but serve their country, they would be taken care of with free medical care for the rest of their lives. That is a travesty. These brave men and women have earned the right to their benefits. They have sacrificed to take care of us. It is our obligation to take care of them.
I think it is incredibly important that we learn what we can from our veterans of past wars. Veterans are those who have stared death in the face and lived. They have seen the end result of the evil men do. Wouldn't it then benefit this current generation to learn from the mistakes of the past? I think today is a great day to sit down with our veterans and ask them to recount their experiences. And this is something that should be done every day. If we fail to take advantage of our veterans before they're gone. If we fail to learn the lessons they have to teach us, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. And that would be to everyone's detriment.