John Schmitz hosted episode 32 of his podcast (on FB) “Mouthwash,” Tuesday, Sept 14. The primary focus was U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Panelist Tiffanie (on the right) said this country has been blessed be cause we never have had to fight a war on U.S. soil. 1/10

Tiffanie’s statement is wrong and implies divine support for this country. “God” has not spared the soil of the U.S. of A. We have fought five wars. (U.S. Const. Art. I §8.) War #1: The War of 1812 was fought mostly on our soil. British troops even sacked D.C. 2/10

War #1 ended in a tie (U.S.: 0-0-1.) War #2: Mexican-American War. 5/12/1846: Pres Polk said Mexico attacked U.S. troops on U.S. soil. Others (including a young officer, later Prest, Grant) saw it as a bare grab for California. Officially it was on U.S. soil. (U.S.: 1-0-1.) 3/10

War #3: Spanish-American War; no part was fought on U.S. soil. (U.S.: 2-0-1.) War #4: WWI. No foreign troops on U.S. soil (but we sent nearly 8K troops into the U.S.S.R.) Our troops were fodder to bring about The Treaty of Versailles. (U.S.: 3-0-1.) 4/10

War #5: WWII. That began for the U.S. w/Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, in Hawai’i, then a U.S. Territory. Japan also invaded the Aleutian Islands, part of the U.S. Territory of Alaska, and is considered to have been fought on U.S. soil. (U.S.: 4-0-1.) 5/10

If we mythologize the US of A by saying we never fought a war on this soil (overlooking the genocide committed on indigenous peoples and slaves), we build a pristine image that can lead to our bombing the hell out of people. 6/10

Geography (ocean on either side of us) and (lack of) technology (ships weren’t fast enough and planes didn’t yet exist) for so long that even if a country could invade us, they could not have established and maintained adequate supply lines. 7/10

We have not fought a declared war for a longer period than any other in our history. War has a start (declaration) & an end (treaty). Politicians & corporations have found it more convenient to ignore The Constitution & carry on decades-long military conflicts. 8/10

Most disturbing? Libertarian Lucy’s narrative of U.S. involvement in Vietnam as a Democratic Party action. Vietnam was based on a lie as much as the Mexican-American War, but it was as bi-partisan as can be. Truman got funds for the French. 9/10

Ike sent advisers vs the Viet Minh. Kennedy & LBJ: gung-ho, then not. In 1968 Nixon subverted negotiations (& committed treason) so he could be elected. As The Pentagon Papers made clear, U.S. political and military leaders knew Vietnam could not be won militarily. 10/10