Well, the Spanish-American war wasn’t fought in Europe, despite the name. Of course, that was an example of certain elements sparking the conflict that the public would not have supported had that ship not been “conveniently” blown up.
As for WW1, I really wouldn’t call that a victory. Given that it led to the overthrow of Czarist Russia and the deposing of the German Kaiser and all the fun that flowed from both. It would’ve been better off had the Germans won in that case and/or led to a stalemate with Britain. In which case, a German win almost would’ve forestalled the rise of the ultraleft evil (both Communist and Nazi) during the disastrous Weimar era.
Now, had the Communists managed to prevail in that situation in Russia, both Germany and the UK would’ve combined forces to put down that menace to humanity and restored either a new Czar or a Republic purged of the Marxist-Leninist element. And, with all of that, there would’ve been no WW2 (and everything else that flowed with the Soviet Communists bankrolling and supporting subversion on a worldwide scale).
Then again, the Germans were stupid enough to lure the Americans into the first war, so that one move led to everything that followed.
In any event, today, it simply is not in our interest to get involved in a Russian-Ukrainian de facto civil war. I don’t harbor the kind of anti-Putin hatred that the Derp State and warmongers do. They want to fight him ? Give them a gun and parachute them over there. Keep the U.S. the hell out of that. Given that we’re almost at civil war level division in our nation, we have our own battles ahead that actually pertain to our very existence.
Your first points are moot, since things happened as they happened, and on balance America reaped some benefits.
But as to the central point, “In any event, today, it simply is not in our interest to get involved in a Russian-Ukrainian de facto civil war,” I totally agree. Give the Ukrainians some weapons. Wish them good luck. Watch it on You Tube or Rumble, as you choose.
“Then again, the Germans were stupid enough to lure the Americans into the first war, so that one move led to everything that followed.”
They also foolishly declared war on the US after the Japanese foolishly attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan, however, stayed out of Germany’s conflict with the Soviet Union, but Hitler wanted to uphold German “honor” or some damned thing. So, play stupid games, win stupid prizes. It was a just war, and winning it was a good thing, even though the US foolishly lost the peace, leading to the Cold War.
“Then again, the Germans were stupid enough to lure the Americans into the first war“
That was fully the Brits. The Germans did not want us in the war.