I was wondering why I never heard of the European Leadership Network before. So I looked them up.
You're seriously trying to retort official government policy of the United States and it's European allies with a questionnaire sent out by some third rate think tank?
You get more difficult to take seriously by the month.
As for "sacrifice my own brothers and sisters", my best friend, who is like a brother two me, did two nine month tours in Afghanistan and serves in the US Army.
I sent him whatever he needed, bi-weekly. I talked to him whenever he could. I offered him support when he was going through stuff he couldn't even talk to his wife about. To this day, I worry day and night about the effects of the war on him (he has PTSD). So in other words, you question my support the sacrifice of "my own brothers and sisters"? You don't know what you're talking about. You speak theoretically. I speak from experience. For 18 months out of the past three years, I held my breath every time I heard of a downed helicopter, or injured service member. Someone I consider part of my family lived through that hell and came out unscathed. He was lucky. But in his service I knew fear for him, a part of my family, every minute he was there. This is the knife he brought me back from Afghanistan to show his gratitude for my support.
Custom made, with the hilt in the colors of the Afghan flag. It's my most prized possession. He has a matching knife.
You know what US Soldiers and Marines called ISAF in Afghanistan? "I Saw Americans Fight". It was only half not-true. Our allies stood by the US in Afghanistan, but their rules of engagement were so stringent, of course the US took the brunt of combat deaths along with the British. Because they did the actual fighting by in large.
Are you not ashamed that your country didn't do its part? Because nobody speaks of the Italian's contribution to the war effort like they do the British. Where were the 20,000 Italian soldiers? Their non-existence meant more Americans had to fill the gap. Americans like my best friend.
And you dare accuse me of being a lobbyist for war? That's worse than a farce. It's a delusion in what passes for that thing between your ears and behind your eyes. I would, in my job, do my part to develop the advanced technology so that no young American like my friend has to go to war in the ass end of the world ever again.