But on November 27, 1963, addressing the Congress and the nation for the first time as president, Johnson called for passage of the civil rights bill as a monument to the fallen Kennedy. "Let us continue," he declared, promising that "the ideas and the ideals which [Kennedy] so nobly represented must and will be translated into effective action." Moreover, where Kennedy had been sound on principle, Lyndon Johnson was the master of parliamentary procedure, and he used his considerable talents as well as the prestige of the presidency in support of the bill.

What this government sponsored link neglects to point out; LBJ voted against civil rights legislation for his entire career in the Senate!  Nor does it mention who wrote the legislation; the GOP.  It also does not mention how many years the GOP had been trying to pass civil rights; since 1883, if memory serves me.  I've researched it, if you don't believe me, help yourself.  In researching this topic, I passed up pieces from the University of Colorado, thanks to the likes of Ward Churchill.  I was not looking for revisionist history.  I got enough of that in school, thank you very much.  I suggest you consider the source when you research.  If you get enough cross verification, it's more likely to be accurate. 

My point in all of this is the perception we've had about "American Imperialism".  It's bad, right?  Isn't that what we were taught?  So here we go with the brain food; here's a taste of it:

"That anti-imperialism is a harmful idea should be obvious from our own history. Should we not have annexed the American southwest from Mexico? Should we have prevented Andrew Jackson from seizing Florida from Spain? Should we have accepted the British-drawn proclamation line of 1763 and left the interior of America to the Indians? Should we regret the British Empire's original sin of planting us here at all?

The left beats the anti-colonial, anti-imperial drum because it serves the liberal interest of accommodating the West to retreat, to moral relativism, and to multiculturalism.

BUT IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS, though apparently it isn't, that if America is to win the so-called war on terror we will need to revert to our imperial heritage as a people whose regnant spirit has always been Don't Tread on Me..."

Go read the rest of it.  Research it.  Discuss it.  It is certainly brain food for those of us deprived by indoctrination educations in  the American public school system.  No wonder home schooling is becoming so popular in America.

UPDATE:  When you've digested that, see if it doesn't relate to this, from an Iraqi;

"All the sophisticated warplanes, tanks and big organized units will have not have a chance to make the desired impact on the ground or meet the goals such units are built to achieve, which means smaller, more agile units backed by strong intelligence-gathering capabilities can replace the bigger units when the latter can move on to engage bigger targets elsewhere.

The insurgents, terrorists and militias operating in Iraq depend on foreign support for money, training, technology and in some cases men. Moreover the influence of foreign interference is clear even in the political arena in Iraq through the numerous political crises the country had faced.
Thus, this war will not see an end unless America revives the preemptive war strategy and start chasing the enemies and striking their bases in the region, especially in Syria and Iran."

Partake of the brain feast, and when it's digested, write your President, your GOP congressmen and senators, and tell them to lay off the ridiculous gamesmanship, and get the job done on GWOT.