@Don Firth... Good to see you've done your homework.

Firthtly, I must apologise for mistaking the 1812 incident for the much later (1898) 'incident' involving the sinking of the "Maine" that precipitated American intervention in Cuba. No-one is clear, to this day, what really happened there or why the ship exploded. It was, however, justification enough for war with Spain and coincidentally 'protection of American interests'.

Thecondly, I would prefer an apology from you for gratuitous off-hand personal imprecations. I'm quite prepared for a civilized exchange of views, as sane and reasonable caring human beings, presumably with a shared interest in the essential substance of the Mudcat...

I'm a very passionate man, and I am NOT an American, therefore my cultural ethos and the memes thereof are different to yours. That's how it is. Disprove me, or disapprove of me, but please don't insult me. I LIKE being wrong (sometimes...) I find it encourages learning new things, don't you?

I used the term "Nazional" advisedly in reference to the anthem of the USA (in particular, although ALL such anthems in my opinion are anathema). Far smarter people than you or I continue to point out the awful slide into fully functional Fascism that increasingly clouds the world. You must be aware surely? Your country leads the way. The great democracy becomes the world-girdling endless-war Empire.
George Orwell had Ingsoc. Today we're burdened with Americap.

Please have ANOTHER revolution? PLease? Jefferson recommended it didn't he? Clean up your own back yard, feed your own poor and hungry, sort out your own domestic prisons, care for your own land. We don't want your millions mister.
We don't want your star spangled supremacy everywhere we look.

Happy Bastille day... Vive Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!