The United States of America is 228 years old today.

Although I agree with most historians that, technically, the true birth of America was 1789, when the Constitution was ratified (thus making the U.S. of A. only 215 years old), the Revolutionary War was won on this day. The British surrendered, leaving the colonies to make their own way in the world, independent of anyone else.

And that's chiefly how the U.S. has always seen itself; we've always tended toward an isolationist view of the world. "Imperialism," for which we stand unfairly accused today, is a relatively new concept for the American nation. War and violence being the American way is a concept that liberals will still bang on about 500 years from now; and Iraq will have been a prosperous nation for more than 490 of them.

Which, of course, leads me to the fact that we have to live with the specter of people who genuinely hate us, domestic and foreign. People who deride everything the U.S. does, accuses its people of being unworldly simpletons, and will gleefully await the day the nation falls into ruins like ancient Rome. These are the sorts of fools we must not allow ourselves to suffer gladly. We can only defeat the defeatist attitudes with hard historical facts.

And what are the facts? America survived the Revolution, pre-Constitutional infighting, another round with the British (the War of 1812), "Manifest Destiny," a brutal Civil War, two World Wars, a nuclear missile crisis, and competition and victory over our only superpower rival, and the worst terrorist attack ever on our own soil. Our next test of survival will be fanatical Islam. We will win that battle too. And so will any other part of the world that has the smarts to side with us. Hell, we've even survived the Democratic Party thus far.

We stand tall and firm and bow to no-one. This is the American way. If some want to equate that with violence and imperialism, so be it. The U.S.A. began with a George W. installed in the highest office in the land. It will not end with the current George W.

The American nation even shares its flag colors with the two other classical Democracies - Britain and France. Americans are not the only ones proud of the "red, white, and blue." But our Stars and Stripes are no less spectacular or important.

I may be writing this on a dark early morning in London, but my homeland is my pride and joy. I despise those who are eternally pessimistic and doubting of her.

God bless America in its 228th year of freedom.