Chuck Yeager

[hardee]

......in which case, WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, or the World Trade Center, et al, Did the USA fire the first shot?

One need be careful when one makes generalizations from any cherry-picked list. For example, if I were to pick the following list, the conclusion would be quite different:

1. Can you tell me where and when Saddam Hussein fired the first shot at the USA that lead to "Shock & Awe"?

2. Which country is the only country to use an atom bomb to kill civilians?

3. Don't get me started on the the very unexceptional actions taken by the American ancestors of many of us against the native American Indians.....near genocide!

Sandy, I have no argument with you on #3. We should be way red faced on that, or worse. But then we are past that now, as in we don't continue the old ways, At least in my house.
# 2&3. NO Problem there either. If you are going to go to war, the only way to do it is go to win, PERIOD. Much less total death, damage and disturbance than messing around with a 15 year long “war” that prolongs the misery for all.

And I have to agree too with Desert Dory:

“It's a shame some people feel the need to xxxx on what could be a great thread….”

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[smckean (Tosca)]

If you are going to go to war, the only way to do it is go to win, PERIOD

Harvey,

How to win a war was not the content of your initial question. Your question was: "Did the USA fire the first shot?" You gave examples of when the answer to that question is "No". I gave examples of when the answer to your question is effectively "Yes".

P.S. BTW, I think one could plausibly argue that the USA did fire the first shot in the Vietnam War. North Vietnam did not attack America, but America definitely did attack North Vietnam (using the "Domino Theory" as a justification).