While the notion of freedom is a high and lofty ideal, exactly what it means and how it gets implemented demands thought prior to action.  Otherwise, we may find ourselves defending a “freedom” that is nothing other than a self-serving delusion and stuck in a quagmire while the body bag count goes up.  Did anyone give us a “freedom handout” when we wanted it?  We wanted it bad enough to make great sacrifices.  We had a resolve that included the vast majority of people in the colonies.  We did not have to convince a lot of “traitors to humanity on the left” (a convenient way of dismissing the majority without thought) to break away from England.  We do not need to lose our idealism but we do need to get real.   If we try to fight every battle for freedom for every one we may end up losing the war and ourselves in the process.  The resolve we had to implement our freedom did not depend on any “freedom handout”.  We would not have appreciated it if it had been given to us from another country.  The call of freedom is the call for self-responsibility.  Anytime someone is given something they did not earn they take it for granted.  If it comes cheap it goes cheap.  This does not mean we condone brutal, self-serving aggression when we see it.  It does mean that we have a realistic understanding of what freedom means and how it has value.  Knee-jerk reaction is not what makes freedom real.  A “freedom handout” does make freedom real.   To make freedom real a majority of people must thoughtfully resolve to make it their own no matter what the consequences.   Our resolve does not effortlessly apply to everyone, everywhere.  This is magical thinking (or no thinking at all).  Our anger and indignation does not create a resolve for freedom in other countries.  It only gives us an occasion for own angry, narcissistic catharsis while we sacrifice our young and cheapen the value of freedom.

Note: While I would not want to minimize the involvement of France, Spain and Holland in the Revolutionary War I would point out that the resolve of the colonies was already demonstrated and forged in the three years it took for France to get involved (four for Spain and Holland).  Washington himself was totally surprised by the fortunate, “Divine Providence” of these countries involvement.  In any case, I think if those countries had initially invaded England to give the colonies “freedom” my point would have failed.  As it is their involvement years later for their own reasons does not negate the patriots resolve.  I might also add that “freedom” in the case of the Revolutionary War may also have more meat on it than simply a lofty ideal (i.e., taxation without representation, etc.).