Uncle Sam wants you! You need to experience things on its own level to understand. Join the military, it will make a man out of you, or in my case, a woman. Go buy a gun and go target shooting, or shoot game and take it home, and cook it.
Go to the VA, talk to the men and some women, not many, who fought in the big one, like my dad. Talk to them, ask them what it was like and ask them what they think of burning the flag that meant home to them. Ask to see their wounds.
Ask the younger generation, even younger than me, who like my neighbor, lost his eyesight and his hands to due a mine. Better yet, ask his parents what they think.
Have you been to places where our military had fought at, or is at the moment? If you haven't then before you make decisions that we are a country of lazy people who don't care, join up, strap the helmet to your head and put that gun in your hand, see what you would do, when someone, the enemy is shooting at you. You going to sacrifice your life? And, allow yourself to be shot.
Do a number crunch. Crunch those numbers you fling out compared to... the amount of people in our great nation. Then, crunch the numbers of other countries, smaller in size who walk about carrying rifles and shoot cilivilans and missionaries, and kids, and anything that moves. Or screams.
Ian, you mean well, maybe. But, unless, you are in certain positions you are in no position to judge.
Become a citizen, join up, join the military. Socialism will be the ruination of our country, it would not, and will not, better it.
And, this is what you are leaning toward in some of your statements. My dad and I fought for our country and while it is not perfect, it is the best you will find.