Exceptionalism Pt. I

This is a little out-of-date, but here goes:

For Americans, I ask you to consider a hypothetical scenario.

For many years, a number of Americans, particularly some Irish-Americans, sympathized with the IRA and its cause. This was in the years shortly before America discovered terrorism. But, make no mistake, the IRA were terrorists. And in this case at least, a not-insignificant number of Americans identified not with "civilization" (Rudy "You're either with civilization or with terrorists" Giuliani), but with the terrorists.

So, let's imagine a scenario: It's 199X. Boston, a stronghold of the Irish-American community is attacked in an unmanned airstrike by the British armed forces, attacking a "safe house" for IRA terrorists and/or sympathizers. 18 Americans are killed, including women and children. Some of them may or may not have been IRA terrorists or sympathizers.

What do you think the reaction would be? From the government? From the American public? It would be an act of war, obviously. The British would no longer be considered an ally, but an enemy (even if there were rumours that the American government had secretly sanctioned the act -- but of course denied it).

Now we've established the scenario, tell me why this was okay with most Americans?

I think I know why, actually: Because the 18 dead were a bunch of Pakistanis.