All of the American's foreign wars have been fought with foes either too weak to resist them or too heavily engaged elsewhere to make more than a half-hearted attempt. The combats with Mexico and Spain were not wars; they were simply lynchings.
Interpretation
This quote criticizes America's foreign wars as being fought against weak opponents or under unfair conditions.
H. L. Mencken's quote reflects a cynical view of American foreign policy, suggesting that the nation's military engagements have often been against adversaries that could not genuinely resist, rendering them more akin to acts of aggression than honorable warfare. He implies that wars against nations like Mexico and Spain lacked the characteristics of true conflict, instead characterizing them as acts of violence against the defenseless.
In practice
This quote would be impactful in a debate about the ethics of war in a public forum.
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Yup, the whole birther movement was racist.
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