[familyop]

"Remember how WWI started over a minor event and the incalculable misery it cost."

The U.S.A. entered World War 1, after Germany sank several U.S. ships and arranged to help Mexico invade and occupy several U.S. states. We lost so many soldiers in that war, because so-called progressives managed to have their politicians elected, including President Woodrow "kept us out of war," Wilson. They kept military spending and preparedness down, which left us poorly prepared for stopping the fascist expansionism of the Germans.

[aquila48]

What does that have to do with what we were talking about, which is how relatively insignificant events can snowball into a catastrophe nobody wanted.

And the number of people and treasure we lost was a pittance compared to the millions lost by Russia, Germany, France, Britain... We actually came out pretty good from that war. All the old powers were on their knees and we took over. Lesson learned - if you’re going to join a war, do it at the last minute when all the other combatants are exhausted and ready to keel over.