Who Has Been Responsible for America’s Wars - Conservatives or Progressives? (Post Civil War)

Wars That The U.S. Has Been Involved In Since the Civil War

• Spanish American War - William McKinley (R), Progressive
• World War I - Woodrow Wilson, (D), Progressive
• World War II - Franklin D Roosevelt (D), Progressive - was forced in by Pearl Harbor, but had been trying to find a way to convince the American people to join the war for a while.
• Korea - Harry Truman (D), Progressive
• Vietnam - John F. Kennedy (D), Semi-Progressive, This one is kind of hard since it was a gradual buildup, but it truly started under JFK, then was expanded to it’s full extent under Lyndon B Johnson (D), Progressive.  Was ended by Richard Nixon (R), Moderate.
• Gulf War I - George H. W. Bush (R), Progressive
• Afghanistan - George W. Bush (R), Progressive
• Gulf War II - George W. Bush (R), Progressive

• Theodore Roosevelt (R), - Started American Imperialism outside of the Continental United States (Caribbean, Philippines)
• Franklin D Roosevelt (D).  Stole power from the states through the New Deal I, New Deal II
• George W. Bush (R).  Stole power from the states through the Patriot Act, Warrant-less wiretapping; Continued American Imperialism abroad (Iraq, Afghanistan)

These are the same people who have taken power away from the States time and time again.


Situations That Could Have Developed Into War, But Didn't

• Grenada - Ronald Reagan (R), Conservative
• Iran - Ronald Reagan (R), Conservative; didn’t actually have to do anything since he scared the hell out of the mullahs who let the prisoners go.
• Afghanistan - Ronald Reagan (R), Conservative; Helped the Mujahideen fight the USSR though the CIA.
• End of the Cold War - Ronald Reagan (R), Conservative and Mikhail Gorbachev (C), Moderate; the Cold war was ended by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, both of whom were against Progressive ideals (Communism is the height of Progressivism).
• Kosovo - Bill Clinton (D), Moderate* ; this actually was a war, but we didn’t get involved in the war itself, only helping the U.N. with it’s peacekeeping mission.

* Clinton has become much more Progressive as of late, but governed as a moderate.


Atrocities Perpetrated by Our Government

• Franklin D Roosevelt (D), Progressive - Held Japanese American citizens in interment camps during WWII simply because they were Japanese Americans
• Woodrow Wilson, (D), Progressive - Held political prisoners; re-segregated the Federal Government and the Military
• Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement are not included here because for most of our history, they were loved, hated, or tolerated by different people on all sides.  This would require and entire book to list all of the people involved, and frankly, I don’t have the time for that.

There are other items that could be included (on both sides).  This list is not meant to be all inclusive, but to counter the idea that Conservatives are the war mongers and that if Progressives had their way, the whole world would be peaceful.