Zero-sum game?

YOU ARE VISITING THE OLD MALKIN(S)WATCH. THAT'S FANTASTIC. PLEASE VISIT THE NEW MALKIN(S)WATCH WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE.

From yesterday's column:

Greetings, America-haters. Do you think you could stop raving against our "war criminals" and "killing machines" -- and you, Teddy Kennedy, could you stop panting over those Abu Ghraib photos -- for a moment and join me in praise for our military's compassion and innovation?

Do we have to stop? Or can we admit that, when used for humanitarian reasons, militaries - especially America's - are almost indispensable? Maybe we should use them that way more often:

"I'd much rather be doing this than figthing a war," - helicopter pilot Lt. Cmdr. William Whitsitt, helping the survivors of the south Asian tsunami.

(Of course, Andrew Sullivan chimed in on this issue with:"Earth to Whitsitt: you're a soldier." Well, he's a sailor, Andy, but thanks for your input.)

I wish I had room to print the name of every sailor, pilot, rescue swimmer, technician and engineer who serves in this strike group -- and on every other American ship, plane and helicopter on its way to help the tsunami victims. You deserve to be seen and known and thanked and remembered. You make America proud.

Yes, Michelle, they absolutely do. But you're still laboring under the impression that when lefties complain about the actions of the military, we're complaining about Lt. Cmdr. Whitsitt. Guess what - we're not, and in most cases, neither is the world. It's the leadership, the decision makers, the ones who choose to use military resources for wars rather than humanitarian aid - they're the true "war criminals" and "killing machines".

At the United Nations, saluting our troops is called jingoism. Where I'm from, it's called gratitude.

And where I'm from, this whole column is called "conflation."