Dukehorn: The US has always been very adept at “selling” wars to the people.
Was it Randolph Hearst who said: “Give me the pictures, and I’ll give you the war”? That was during the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the American Century kicked off shortly thereafter.
You mention Tillman and Lynch, I would offer Colin Kelly during the beginning stages of WWII. He was a bomber pilot, and called the “first hero of WWII” for his bravery. The problem was that the events surrounding the story were either outright fabricated or grossly inflated. The US needed heroes, though, so out the story went.
China worries me, too. Beyond the items you cited are: Endemic AIDS in certain parts of the country, a large cadre of former People’s Army soldiers who are fed up with the government, discontent at the widening disparity between wealthy and poor, along with huge environmental issues as a result of their rapid industrialization. Combine that with a virulent and xenophobic nationalism, and it starts to get interesting.
I would think the Beijing Olympic Games will be a showcase for China in both senses of the word.
