DOUGLAS GINSBURG, Federal Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit:
In the 1900s, the United States fought five major wars.

In 1917 we entered World War I, the first global war. In the summer of 1914, the assassination of an Austrian nobleman triggered a chain reaction.
Film footage: “In 1917 our fathers fought the first world war to make the world safe for democracy.” Five empires rushed to war. Germany’s submarine war on American ships caused the United States to enter the war – and win it.

Within a generation though, Adolf Hitler seized power in Germany. While the world watched, he built the strongest army in Europe, started World War II, and conquered most of the continent. America entered the war after Japan attacked the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor. Along with its allies, America defeated Germany and Japan – then helped rebuild them. Today, Germany and Japan are thriving democracies.
In 1950, communist North Korea invaded democratic South Korea to unite the countries by force. America led a United Nations coalition to repel the invaders. Officially, the Korean War hasn’t ended, but the fighting ceased with an armistice in 1953.
The Vietnam War began with another communist attempt to unite two nations by force. After eight years of futile bloodshed, the U.S. signed a peace treaty and withdrew. But two years later, communist North Vietnam conquered the South.
After Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, America assembled another UN coalition and liberated Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War.
Do you see a trend? Although the United States became the 20th century’s superpower, it didn’t start any of these wars. All were fought to repel aggressors.