Warring nation isn’t exceptional

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin set off alarms by saying that America wasn’t exceptional. Unfortunately, he is right and we need to get over ourselves. Our exceptional thoughts have involved us in several foolish wars, wasted our soldier’s lives and limbs and trillions of our tax dollars.

The Defense Department used to be called the War Department, and unless we stop with the bombing threats we should accept the war label over the exceptional label.

The wars have zero to do with promoting freedom and everything to do with supporting corporations that exploit war for profit. We prop up dictators, sell them weapons and then go to war with them to make even more profits for the military industrial complex.

How can we be viewed as exceptional if we bomb the home of a family and kill their children, then excuse ourselves by saying it was collateral damage? What do we say when one exceptional soldier goes nuts and murders civilians?

What’s really sad is that we are called out by Putin, an actual dictator, who is wrongly exceptional in his actions. It would truly be exceptional if we actually helped other countries vs. bombing them with drones and missiles.

Pete Scobby

Newport, Wash.