I was born in 1974. Even discounting the events at the end of the Vietnam War (1973-1975), this is what I can recall off of the top of my head:
1980 - Failed rescue of Iranian hostages.
1982 - invastion of Grenada. Bloodless, yes, but still armed intervention.
1983 - suicide bombing in Beirut. This after some Marines were sent into the maelstrom that was the Lebanese Civil War.
1989 - Panama. Capture of Noriega.
1990-1991 - Persian Gulf War buildup and attack.
early 1990s - Somalia.
1999 - Yugoslavia/Kosovo.
2001-present - Afghanistan.
2003-2010 (or later) - Iraq, part deaux. The sequel was bloodier, more violent, and pretty much sucked ass.
And now apparently Syria will be next. No more than 6 years in my nearly 40 years has the US managed to avoid whipping out its military dick. Sure, some of the justifications are better than others, but here's a sobering question:
How many other nations can you name that have been as involved or more so in the affairs of other, presumably sovereign nations on a military level? It's depressing to consider this and the alternatives do not make for cheery thoughts, either.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
- 05/09/2013 01:11:25 PM
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(and yes, many were more police actions) *NM*
- 05/09/2013 04:58:24 PM
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