By my count there's about 6 million Jews, 3m Polish Catholics, and tens more thousands Gypsies, Gays, et al who say you're wrong.

Jim:

Exactly. We did Hitler because it was fun, not because he was a threat.

OJ, right.

I'm expecting someday to hear that FDR lied us into war with Germany, since Germany had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor.

Of course he lied us into war--every American war is sold with lies to get the Realists to come along with the Idealists. Doesn't effect whether they're noble causes or not.

I mean, does anyone really believe the bill of particulars in the Declaration of Independence?

Some of us do believe in the literal truth of the bill of particlars in the Declaration of Independence. Being a follower of Thomas Jefferson does not mean that one may not also be a follower of Alfred Thayer Mahan.

Idealism and realism most certainly coexist. When we see America as the last, best hope of Earth, it appears that what is good for America is good for the world.

They didn't want to pay for the sevices Britain rendered--everyone always wants a free lunch.

We paid Britain back. At least twice. France too. Lou's right.

JD:

Our subsequent wars with Britain can hardly have been us paying them back, but vice versa. The lingering animosity between us and them followed by alliance is the same path Iran will follow with us.

At least they overrode Jefferson and didn't include instituting slavery in the colonies as one of George's crimes. That would have been laugh-out-loud funny.

FDR lied us into a war against Germnay as soon Germany moved against his pal Uncle Joe.

OJ, in my unclear comment I was trying to say we repaid them for the costs of the colonies by bailing them out in WWI and WWII. My bad. I bear no animosity to Britain

Yes, your analogy was overly apt, demonstrating my point rather than yours.