Freeing Europe, and gaining exclusive bargaining rights (don't know the official term) wich means in reality that the USofA can buy stuff produced in Europe for less then the Europeans pay for it
So I guess that it would have been better if the Thousand Year Reich had lasted a thousand years huh? Long beofer we actually entered WWII the US was supporting the UK with money, food, and weapons under the Lend/Lease act...

Trying time and time again to rule the world (Gulf War II) or atleast the middle east.
I have not once heard anyone in control of the US Governmet say anything about ruling the world... That particular phenomina(sp) seems to be an "old world" thing.. The Romans, Goths, Vandles, Huns, French, British, Germans, Jananese, etc... I don't remember there ever being an American Empire or the US ever having an Emperor, King, Prince, etc...

For killing innocent people all over the world (do fill in any war that comes to mind)...
And the IRA has never killed an innocent? Al Quadea didn't kill 3000+ innocent people? ... I guess you forgot all the Crusades, the inqusitioon, etc... the US didn't have anything to do with those... Ever seen an entire village full of children with their arms cut off by a "social justice movement" because they got a vacination against polio? Ever had some "freedom fighter (read that terrorist) fire a round at you because you stood up to them and didn't knuckle under to their form of dictatorship? Yes innocent people do die in a war and 99% of the time it is an accident... Unfortunately accidents do happen in war...

LOL....I'd like to know, too? What are you thanking them for? The lack of deaths by "friendly fire"??? That only one (1) wedding party was killed? That Osama Bin Laden is still no where near being captured? Tha Bush is pushing the world towards war with his antagonistic attitude towards his Daddy's nemisis, Saddam?
The reason I asking people to say thank you is very simple... It is a way to show the men and women of teh US armered forces that we appreciate their sacrifice for us... To use a good movie line... "Theose men and women stand a watch keeping the dark things of the world from getting to you. When you need them you cry please help us and when you don't you want them to hide away and not show themselves. But deep down inside, in the place you can't talk about in your polite society, you need them, you want them to be on that watch because without them you wouldn't have your polite society." Say thank you because they stand a watch each and every night and by so doing they are telling you, "sleep safe and know deep in your heart that nothing will harm you tonight, not on my watch!"

You don't like the war great... I sure as hell don't like it... I have a wife who is just back from supporting Operation Endruring Freedom... Do you? But please don't disrespect those who have chosen to defend the US and do something that you are either incapable of doing because of age, disability, etc... Or to scared to do... What ever your reason this is not about the US as a whole it is about the individual soldier, sailor, marine, or airman who has to spend this holiday season away from his or her family because a terrorist group decided to start a war...