How brave to bomb from the sky!
Now ... I can't read your mind, only your words as printed on a computer screen. In context, that appears (to me) to be a snide, sarcastic, backhanded slap implying that USAF are cowards. It is the sort of thing I expect to see (having seen it many times) from stinking, unwashed, communist hippies who haven't a clue as to the meaning or nature of courage and honour.
Please clarify exactly what you meant by that comment.
Now that I know what you are referring to, I completely understand why you made the comment that you did. On the surface, you are right - my comment "How brave to bomb from the sky!" WAS sarcastic and intended as such. I'm glad that you're giving me an opportunity to clarify, because I can certainly see how that can be taken as an insult to the USAF.
I assure you that my comment was not meant as an affront to the USAF and I apologize if it was interpreted that way. I was directing my comment to the politicians and policy makers who issued the directive to bomb from the sky, as opposed to sending ground troops in to fight face to face with the Serbs. My comment was directed at NATO, not the USAF.
Bombing a country and a people, including the civilians, from the sky is not a brave act as it was carried out in March 1999 against Serbia. I hope you understand what I'm saying. These "bombers" were attacking "easy targets" and they weren't faced with an opposing air force, such as when the U.S. or the Allies faced the German air force "face to face" in the sky in WWII. There's a difference, at least from this civilian's perspective. Please help me understand how it could be considered "courageous" (and I mean that sincerely, without sarcasm.)
For me, in the context of the bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999, it was the Serbs on the ground, both the military and the civilians, who were the courageous ones.
I hope you understand. And I agree with you 100 percent about those people who disparage the U.S. Military as being critics who have no clue about the meaning or nature of courage and honour. I feel that same way about those who disparage Law Enforcement Officers as well.
I think this is an important discussion. Thanks for the opportunity. It was extremely difficult for this American to reconcile what was happening in 1999, being a person who felt loyal to BOTH sides of that conflict. Talk about being "torn"...
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