Which of These Wars Should Have Been Prevented?

[whitehall]

The question is too broad. It would take several books to argue about 19th century wars. Try the 20th century. America had no business in WW1.Pompus former Prinston professor Woodie Wilson told Americans that we would never again fight in a foreign war. Next thing you know he is shipping Doughboys to fight for France and die in trenches. About 100,000 Americans died in about 4 years. Was Imperialist Germany a threat to the US? FDR told Americans the same thing while he was desperate for Japan to attack so we could get in to the "real war" in Europe. The fool based his opinion about Japanese military strength on racist slogans. We lost about 300,000 in four years. Harry Truman did the right thing in Korea but we lost 35,000 due to his incompetence in a three year war that should have been over in less than a year. What can you say about LBJ's war except that the fool set the rules so that the US would win every battle and still lose the war.

 

[ginscpy]

The krauts shoulnt have torpedoed the Lusitania in 1916 - lots of American citizens died

US involment in WW1 was inevitable anyways - just like in WW2 PH WAS A FAVOR TO FDR!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[American Legacy]

Interesting question, however, you didn't include the War on Terrorism.
In 1983, when the U.S. Marine barracks were bombed, we should have stopped terrorism in it's tracks. Next day. That, to me, was the beginning of the WOT - and what happened on 9/11 would have never happened had we took action on Saudi Arabia and the rest of the contributors.
We have coddled that nation long enouh.
Been to a gas station for a fill up lately?

It started before that. Just months earlier, terrorists bombed the U.S. embassy in that very same country. The 1981 Libyan-sponsored plot to assasinate U.S. diplomats in Paris and Rome. How about the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran and the subsequent hostage crisis? The oil embargo by OPEC in 1973? The 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy. The list goes on.

While the War on Terror was made inevitable by the rise of Islamic jihad, I'll agree that 9/11 was certainly preventable.

 

[American Legacy]

War of 1812 - US had a pretty solid motive for war, an illegal blockade on it's trade, but used it as an opportunity to expand into Canada and break resistance from the Indians in order to expand more easily westerwards. Could've been avoidable, but seems like it was kind of legitimate.

Yes, we had good reasons for war, but the wiser course of action would have been to avoid war with Britain, the most powerful navy on earth, thus avoiding the humiliation of having our capital sacked and exposing the ineffectiveness of . Had we given diplomacy a few more weeks, the war would have been avoided entirely. As it was, the war resulted in a tie only which renewed nationalistic patriotism. It was foolish, at best, to enter this war as woefully unprepared as we were. Far better to effect a reconciliation with Mother England than to ruin our economy and risk tearing the nation apart at the seams.

Civil War - This one is tough, on the one hand, the US had absolutely no right to go to war with secessionists, while on the other the secessionists were just really bad. In other words, the war was basically illegitimate, but was historically vindicated by leading to the abolition of slavery (perhaps the most disgusting institution ever engaged in by man, even if that was not the real pretext for it which it was fought). Should it have been avoided? It's iffy, but probably not.

The U.S. government was constitutionally compelled to quell the insurrection of the Confederate rebels. This war was completely the fault of the slaveholding South. The most necessary war in U.S. history outside the Revolutionary War.

Spanish American War - this War was nothing but a propaganda coup for yellow journalism. The Americans literally used and manipulated the Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Filipino independence movement and crafted an empire of their own out of Spain's rotting carcass. Totally useless and avoidable.

More or less agree here, though from the standpoint of geopolitical strategy it was a highly successful, brilliant move which should have resulted in Cuba eventually becoming a U.S. state. The guerilla insurgency in the Philippines cost many American lives and is an all-too forgotten part of our history. The least justifiable of our wars, IMHO.

WWI - In this one, the United States sent troops to defend a couple of big trading partners from a war they were not entirely free of blame from causing, in order to get a spoil or two. Not particularly necessary, should've probably been avoided, but world history would be much different that's for sure.

Far less upsetting than how we entered the war is how we exited it. Wilson was an intransigent fool whose hubris ploughed the soil in which grew the roots of WWII. There was nothing inevitable about the United States entering this war, however, and it might very well have been to our advantage to remain neutral while letting Europe beat itself into a bloody and senseless stalemate. That's exactly what would have happened had the Kaiser not been such a damn fool.

WWII - This one's kind of a no-brainer. US gets attacked by Japan (though the Japanese sort of had good reason to). The European theater is debatable but, I mean, c'mon... it was against Hitler for chrissakes.

Our finest hour. It's unfortunate we weren't more pro-active in preventing the war in either theater of conflict, but it established the U.S. as the undisputed leader of the free world.

Korean War - This one was pretty legit. Pretty clear [UN Charter] "Chapter VII" affair. (Country gets invaded, international community responds)

Whatever the merits of intolerance for insubordination, it doesn't change the fact that MacArthur was right: the UN wasn't playing to win. One of the great failures of American military intervention is leaving a divided post-1953 Korea, which now gives us a terrorist-arming, hostile nuclear regime run by a madman. We were there - rightfully so - but this remains America's most "unfinished" war.

Vietnam War - This one was just stupid. Blackmailed by the French, the Americans undertake the effort of propping up a corrupt sub-colonial dictatorship that's hated by virtually all Vietnamese, alienating and then fighting the anti-colonial liberation movement. The result was a Communist Vietnam, millions of Vietnamese dead, and 60K dead Americans. Moronic and useless.

Eisenhower's "domino theory" was absolutely correct, though Vietnam may not have been the most strategic spot to stand our ground. Another winnable war we quit on.

Gulf War - Another clear Chapter VII violation of the UN charter, this one is kind of legit.

The sole legitimate cause for the United States to go to war is its national interest, not the UN Charter (which may be the most useless piece of paper ever stained with ink). This war just happened to meet both.

Iraq War - An illegal war of aggression started under false pretenses for virtually no reason. This one speaks for itself.

Completely bogus. Saddam gave us every possible reason to go in there. That nuclear weapons wasn't found does not delegitimize the war. Liberals speak for themselves, not the facts.

Afghanistan War - This one's kind of silly. Deceivingly framed as "self-defense," the US decides to try to kill a band of insane fanatical thugs by bombing and occupying an entire country. Whoa there guys, relax - some clever intel and a single special-ops team might be enough... and it was. Should've been avoided.

Like the Iraq War, the initial phase was a resounding success. The nation-building not-so-much. The war-without-a-mission we have going there now I don't count as the same as the original operation to rid the country of the Taliban. So if by "Afghan War" we're talking about the current operation-without-a-clear-mission, then yes, but all means, it's very silly.

My sole vote as a totally wasted effort was the War of 1812.

 

[ginscpy]

War of 1812 - US had a pretty solid motive for war, an illegal blockade on it's trade, but used it as an opportunity to expand into Canada and break resistance from the Indians in order to expand more easily westerwards. Could've been avoidable, but seems like it was kind of legitimate.

Yes, we had good reasons for war, but the wiser course of action would have been to avoid war with Britain, the most powerful navy on earth, thus avoiding the humiliation of having our capital sacked and exposing the ineffectiveness of . Had we given diplomacy a few more weeks, the war would have been avoided entirely. As it was, the war resulted in a tie only which renewed nationalistic patriotism. It was foolish, at best, to enter this war as woefully unprepared as we were. Far better to effect a reconciliation with Mother England than to ruin our economy and risk tearing the nation apart at the seams.

Civil War - This one is tough, on the one hand, the US had absolutely no right to go to war with secessionists, while on the other the secessionists were just really bad. In other words, the war was basically illegitimate, but was historically vindicated by leading to the abolition of slavery (perhaps the most disgusting institution ever engaged in by man, even if that was not the real pretext for it which it was fought). Should it have been avoided? It's iffy, but probably not.

The U.S. government was constitutionally compelled to quell the insurrection of the Confederate rebels. This war was completely the fault of the slaveholding South. The most necessary war in U.S. history outside the Revolutionary War.


More or less agree here, though from the standpoint of geopolitical strategy it was a highly successful, brilliant move which should have resulted in Cuba eventually becoming a U.S. state. The guerilla insurgency in the Philippines cost many American lives and is an all-too forgotten part of our history. The least justifiable of our wars, IMHO.


Far less upsetting than how we entered the war is how we exited it. Wilson was an intransigent fool whose hubris ploughed the soil in which grew the roots of WWII. There was nothing inevitable about the United States entering this war, however, and it might very well have been to our advantage to remain neutral while letting Europe beat itself into a bloody and senseless stalemate. That's exactly what would have happened had the Kaiser not been such a damn fool.


Our finest hour. It's unfortunate we weren't more pro-active in preventing the war in either theater of conflict, but it established the U.S. as the undisputed leader of the free world.


Whatever the merits of intolerance for insubordination, it doesn't change the fact that MacArthur was right: the UN wasn't playing to win. One of the great failures of American military intervention is leaving a divided post-1953 Korea, which now gives us a terrorist-arming, hostile nuclear regime run by a madman. We were there - rightfully so - but this remains America's most "unfinished" war.


Eisenhower's "domino theory" was absolutely correct, though Vietnam may not have been the most strategic spot to stand our ground. Another winnable war we quit on.


The sole legitimate cause for the United States to go to war is its national interest, not the UN Charter (which may be the most useless piece of paper ever stained with ink). This war just happened to meet both.

Iraq War - An illegal war of aggression started under false pretenses for virtually no reason. This one speaks for itself.

Completely bogus. Saddam gave us every possible reason to go in there. That nuclear weapons wasn't found does not delegitimize the war. Liberals speak for themselves, not the facts.

Afghanistan War - This one's kind of silly. Deceivingly framed as "self-defense," the US decides to try to kill a band of insane fanatical thugs by bombing and occupying an entire country. Whoa there guys, relax - some clever intel and a single special-ops team might be enough... and it was. Should've been avoided.

Like the Iraq War, the initial phase was a resounding success. The nation-building not-so-much. The war-without-a-mission we have going there now I don't count as the same as the original operation to rid the country of the Taliban. So if by "Afghan War" we're talking about the current operation-without-a-clear-mission, then yes, but all means, it's very silly.

My sole vote as a totally wasted effort was the War of 1812.

When you are a 40 point dog - a tie is like a win. War Of 1812.

The Brits may have sacked DC - but America punked them at New Orleans.
(The Last Word)

 

[rightwinger]

Only the Civil War and WWII were necessary

 

[GHook93]

Which of These Wars Should Have Been Prevented?

In other words, Which of these wars were mistakes and a waste of human life and should not have had U.S. involvement? When considering this question I mean it in the context of the descision to commit to war at the time by the U.S. Congress or the President.

I will also put Clinton's bombing of Serbia and the Obama War in Libya!

 

[ginscpy]

I voted for the Vietnam War as the most unnecessary.

Mexican-American War wasn't on the poll list.

How can anybody say that the War Of 1812 wasn't a just/necessary war? The Brits were walking all-over the flegling USA - The Ultimate Schoolyard Bully. (seizing American ships and impressing American citizens, choking off US trade etc..)

 

[GHook93]

I wonder why so few of you chose the war of 1812 and so many chose the spanish american war. If I am not mistaken I beleive Spain was the first to declair war though everyone knew it was coming. The American Civil war was perhaps one of the easyest to avoid.

War of 1812 for a few reasons.

(1) The British Army put a blockade against us
(2) The British Army was sinking our ships
(3) The British were supporting Indian insurrection against the Americans
(4) The British entity of Canada was right above the young country of America and was hostile to it, there was a fear that after the British defeated the French they would seek to reclaim America
(5) America was expanding and taking Canada would have been a good move in the long run. If the United stated included Canada today, we would have been that much stronger of a nation

 

[rightwinger]

I voted for the Vietnam War as the most unnecessary.

Mexican-American War wasn't on the poll list.

How can anybody say that the War Of 1812 wasn't a just/necessary war? The Brits were walking all-over the flegling USA - The Ultimate Schoolyard Bully. (seizing American ships and impressing American citizens, choking off US trade etc..)

War of 1812 was a disaster

We invaded Canada and got our asses kicked
Let the Brits burn our capital
Almost gave the country back

Diplomacy would have solved it.....in fact, it did

 

[ginscpy]

I voted for the Vietnam War as the most unnecessary.

Mexican-American War wasn't on the poll list.

How can anybody say that the War Of 1812 wasn't a just/necessary war? The Brits were walking all-over the flegling USA - The Ultimate Schoolyard Bully. (seizing American ships and impressing American citizens, choking off US trade etc..)

War of 1812 was a disaster

We invaded Canada and got our asses kicked
Let the Brits burn our capital
Almost gave the country back

Diplomacy would have solved it.....in fact, it did

The Brits wanted to reclaim America after they lost the Revolution.

Punked their behinds at New Orleans.

 

[ginscpy]

Everythingother than Vietnam were just wars ( and even nam is borderline -just badly done)

War of 1812 - Brits were walking all-over America

Mexican-American War - remember the Alamo

Civil War - maybe themost just war in history - - Confeds fired thefirst shot at Ft Sumpter

Spanish-American War - the one I have the most issues about.....................aside from nam

WW1 - the krauts were clealy the bad guys - sunk the Lusitania

WW2

Korean War - blatent agrression by the commieis attacking South Korea - what was America suppossed to do - sit back and do nothing????????

Nam - totally bothched................

FirstGulfWar - hey Saddamm took over Kuwait -just do nothing???? - should have finished it then -gone on to Bagdad

War on Terror/911 - world we live in -- been no majorattacks on US soil since then

 

[tonystewart1]

WWII could have been prevented. Hitlers rose to power in the enviroment that the allies created with the Treaty of Versailles. If the allies had worked to rebuild Germany instead of punishing her then Hitlers message of extreme nationalism would not have had as large an audience as it did.

All Clemenceau wanted was revenge and Lloyd George was looking for money. Wilson had good intentions but his precious Leauge of Nations clouded his view.

Japan on the other hand was unavoidable. To stop Japanese nationalism was not within the world power. That would have been a completly diffrent war than what we think of as WWII. It probably would not have lasted as long since all US resources could have been directed to the Pacific.

That raises all kinds of questions about how different the world would be with no WWII.

 

[zzzz]

All wars are preventable et through out human history warfare has been a part of our culture. From fighting as kids to full fledged warfare we are trained in conflict.

Some of these wars we started, some were in response to attacks but all were preventable. Some were justified and some were not. Some like the Afghanistan war were justified in the beginning (destroying terrorist bases) but the mission changed into putting our political system in place which is not justified.

WWII - no other option
WWI - Could have been avoided but the influx of American soldiers in to the war pushed Germany to concede defeat. What would have happened without American involvement? What would have today a N Korean situation in Europe? We would not have had Hitler!