I appreciate what you are saying, Mav. Funny, I had recently decided I wouldn't touch a topic in this forum with a ten-foot pole. But your angle is one I do have a comment on.

We know how to handle/punish individuals for crimes (or at least most civilized nations have statutes that do their best). How are nations punished for thier crimes? As a USn, I do feel at least some culpability for what my nation does to other nations, to our own citizens, to the environment, etc..

In short, we have a word for a matyr, an assassin, a murderer, and so forth. But what do we call that system that produces these en masse or leads them to battle? And what are these people themselves guilty of? Patriotism?