Reply #8: That wasn't the question being asked. But since you bring it up -

[RichM]

WWI was another example of a war that was fought for reasons very different from the officially-supplied ones. It represented an important step in American empire-building. It was used as an excuse for crushing a militant labor movement (IWW). The federal government made great strides in institutionalizing lying and propaganda as standard tools in managing foreign policy (Creel Commission, etc). There were great attacks launched in that period against the quality of our domestic democracy, via the Espionage Act of 1917, & the postwar Palmer Raids & Red Scare. The US emerged from the war the rising star of imperial powers - but a terrible price was paid for this. US participation in the war set many unfortunate precedents, though of course, war profiteers did very well, & Anglo-American interests got their paws onto Middle Eastern oil.