Does anyone remember the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964)?  It was a document used by the Lyndon Johnson administration to fool Congress into giving the president a virtual blank check to flood Vietnam with thousands of American men and women in an effort to stop the spread of Communism (Containment theory). In the end, Vietnam was a disaster for America in many ways. 

Then there was Colin Powell At the United Nations trying to convince the world that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Again a lie that cost thousands of American lives. It might have been a start of what Donald Trump called "forever wars." Now he has begun his own forever war in the Middle East. But, not to worry, according to him, we have won and his will all be over soon - as thousands of Marines, boots on the ground, depart for the area.

But we love "splendid little wars" (John Hay). Too bad Mr. Trump is no Teddy, charging up San Juan Hill. Rather, he can be found on some golf course. 

Trump joked about Pearl Harbor but history has shown that 1941 was not a big surprise and that people like Winston Churchill, due to good intelligence, knew the hour and the day but chose to keep it to themselves. True or not, most wars in our history could have been avoided. Some were manufactured. Others relied on phony provocations. "Remember the Maine!"

Trump wants to walk away from Hormuz and let the Europeans pull his chestnuts out of the fire. Then why the Marines? Will the occupation of Kharg Island be the prelude for a march on Teheran? 

All of this is another example of tossing history to the waste bin of time. We do not learn. We will always repeat the catastrophes of the past.