That is the title of the article I linked to, and the selection is lifted verbatim from Dr Zoltan. I would have liked to see the Mexican War, the Monroe Doctrine, and Commodore Perry's bullying of Japan included as well, plus no doubt many other incidents we never heard about in school because they're not as noble and stirring as the Halls of Montezuma and the Shores of Tripoli.

I considered editing out the pre-1900 incidents, legitimate acts of self-defense, as well as the domestic actions, and trying to sort out the formatting, but I was afraid I might leave something out I didn't want to, or otherwise damage the text. I copied out the whole list and you can follow the link and decide for yourself which were justified and which were not. Still, the chronology pretty much coincides with the American rise as an imperial power at the turn of the 20th century, struggling to catch up with the English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and other European colonialists.

I also considered not writing anything at all, but just providing a link. But the dramatic impact of seeing that list all in one place. was too powerful to pass up. Neither do I want to give the impression that the United States is a particularly bloodthirsty and rapacious rogue state. This is what nations do, particularly big, powerful ones. We are fundametally no worse than any other nation in history, but we are intrinsically no better, either. This is neither a glorification nor a condemnation of American exceptionalism. It's a denial of it.

One minor, more partisan footnote: The Bolshevik Revolution in the USSR wasn't until 1917, and a great deal of our interventions involve pre-Communist Era incursions into New World banana republics, so the readiness of the US to engage in military adventures isn't just about fighting Communism and defending our freedom. It's about acquiring, extending, and defending US economic power, or specifically, corporate interests. Or to put it bluntly, American boys' blood and US taxpayer dollars are out there making the world safe for American business and commerce. Yeah, I know its the same tiresome old whine, but its a long list, ain't it?