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Look, I'm going to be honest with you, America. We lost. Not because it was a block, not because Jewitt was fighting barehanded, but because we weren't good enough to win. There are a lot of naysayers out there, including a number of American citizens, who are badmouthing this country for losing yesterday's battle. I have to ask, though, did you think that something like this would never happen?

I understand your frustration: yes, we spent a lot of money on that battle, and yes, we berserked like there was no tomorrow. I understand your disappointment in your country, and in your government; however, it was foolish to assume that the United States would never face a major defeat like this. As I explained in my previous article, we had all of the physical capital necessary for victory - that does not, however, mean that victory is an absolute guarantee.

An often-quoted cliche' is that the night is darkest just before the dawn - and, as many have concluded, it could hardly get darker than this. But, the dawn has to break sometime, and our naivete and illusion of invincibility have to shatter with it. For all of those who assumed that this would be an easy victory, I hope that you understand the price of overestimating our strength. Speaking from a historical perspective, no country has ever had it easy. As empires were established and toppled, note that this was never a quiet process. Wars of conquest (or of liberation) have always been, and always will be, vicious struggles which test a nation's resolve - a resolve that, for us, was simply not strong enough. This flaw of ours has evidenced itself most in the post facto rhetoric that I've been reading. If division like this springs up whenever we happen to face disappointment in battle, I can see why we lost. This country still has much to learn in terms of cohesive patriotism. Many of the people who participated in Heilongjiang have started attacking Jewitt's administration, cynicism and distrust being their weapons of choice. I actually find this quite humorous, and let me explain why:

Let me put this as simply as I can - you volunteered. Your country appreciates your contributions, and tried its hardest to win the battle; however, each and every American knew the risks involved, and chose to play the odds by handing over his or her financial capital to our government. Do you hassle your stock broker when you make a bad investment? Do you harass to the man at the convenience store when you don't win the lottery? Do you complain about the employees when roulette and the slots siphon away your paycheck? I think not. You can blame our government if you'd like, but ultimately, the blame rests with each and every American investor.

As Lincoln famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." If we continue to squabble amongst ourselves, our enemies will have no trouble dividing and conquering, as the popular strategy would suggest. Instead of dwelling on our defeat, we need to begin dreaming up new ways to triumph. Instead of reacting to our defeat, we need to be proactive in our recovery. Time does not stop for us, and neither does the war.

I know that I cannot speak for our government, but I think I have an idea of what they would say: I'm sorry that we lost, but get over it. Getting upset isn't going to make our loss disappear. We simply have to do our best to make up for it.

I don't want to bore you, so allow me to close this out: I know we lost, but we can't let it ruin us. The day that we turn against ourselves is the day that we open ourselves to an even larger defeat. I know that this likely has not been the consolation that you were hoping for, but giving you the truth is far more important right now than spoon-feeding you what you'd like to hear; and, though it may be ugly, rude, and potentially upsetting, truth takes no sides.