It is easy for me as a young American to view the World Wars as artifacts of the past, their only relevant modern vestiges the endless jingoism seen on the big screen. In our zeitgeist WW2 is ancient history, over and done with. We went in, kicked ass, and saved the day. Our quibbles with Russia and China have eclipsed the issue, proliferation became the watchword of the day, and the four horsemen have made a stomping ground of the middle-east.

The ongoing drama of life has moved into a new act, and Hitler is but a bygone boogyman.

However actually visiting Europe tells a completely different story. The enormous glass sky-scraping scars of London stand atop neighborhoods touched by fire and bombshell. Cologne, one of Germany's most historic cities, is still haphazardly rebuilding after being burnt to the ground by 1,455 tons of explosives. France's manyfold open graves stand testament to the life expectancy of the 20th century.

The specter of World War 2 is still very much alive in the world. Lifetimes are still spent in and around the fallout. Sometimes literally, in the case of Japan and the Ukraine. These sites and many more stand as silent educators ensuring that no European generation will forget the unbridled fury of man.

We should count our fifty lucky stars that the worst we've ever had to endure at home is the loss of a couple military ships in harbor.

America has always been a greater danger to itself than any other country could hope to be.