[causality0]

America's initial lack of intervention in WW2 resulted in Pearl Harbor and German conquest of most of Europe

Europe's refusal to follow Wilson's Fourteen Points plan and instead punish Germany as hard as possible is what created WW2 in the first place. Exactly how many of Europe's messes was the US supposed to help clean up before saying "No more"?

Smedley Butler can stay forgotten as a footnote in the dusty annals of history.

The legacy of the most decorated marine in history will live on longer than yours or mine.

[xdennis]

> punish Germany as hard as possible is what created WW2 in the first place

People like simplistic arguments for WW2. But the truth is that the terms given to Germany weren't that hash, certainly not as harsh as the terms imposed by Germany on Russia and Romania in the separate peace treaties before the end of the war.

[jopsen]

> how many of Europe's messes was the US supposed to help clean up before saying "No more"?

Personally, I'd like to just say thanks!

And hope you stick around to prevent us creating a new mess.. I think we'll be happy to purchase a few useless F35s in exchange :)

[jessaustin]

Let's not give Wilson too much credit. He could have simply kept his campaign promises to keep USA out of WWI. At the start of 1917, all combatants were ready to negotiate peace. Wilson's perfidy on behalf of armaments manufacturers invigorated the bloodlust of the English and (especially) French ruling classes, lengthened the war, and through the "Spanish" (really Kansan) flu epidemic killed tens of millions. Later at Paris, he made a show of resisting their excesses for about a week before he contracted the flu (karma!) and lost the intellectual capacity to affect negotiations.