The war for independence
Indians / native Americans
Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombing
The war in Vietnam
The Cold war
The Civil war
I can't tell
The Allies did savage things in "the good war," WWII. We firebombed civilians, intensively and quite intentionally. We did it because it was necessary to destroy the enemy's will to continue fighting.
We didn't want to. We resisted it at first. But it was necessary, so we did it.
You should only get into it if you have to. But if you do, you should fight it with every bit of ferocity you need to. So yes, you do value the lives of your people over those of the enemy.
2001-2008: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
2009-2016: Dissent is the highest form of racism.
2017-? (Probably): Dissent is the highest form of misogyny.
"Groups with guitars are on the way out, Mr. Epstein"
Dick Rowe, A & R man
If there's a god, damn it she won't mind.
If there's a god, baby she won't mind.
Actually the paradox in nuking our enemies if national survival was thought to be at stake is it would insure the end of our nation.
The concept of our troops being worth so many of their troops is rather new, mostly due to a change in wars of national defense to wars of national interest. Prior to that, religion, bigotry and racism drove the eagerness to be savage and de-humanize the enemy.
Our own War of Northern Aggression had massive losses by the attacker with little regard for the common soldier braving shot and shell.
As late as WWII submarine warfare, while considered barbaric, held the merchantship had to be warned before being sunk.
That drives savagery
National Survival is a negligee the devil puts on before we lie down with him.