> The only time war makes countries money is when they pick on non-industrialized enemies.
Maybe you're making a different point to this but the United States and its corporations came out of WWI and WWII (wars against an industrialized enemy) far richer and more powerful than before WWI and WWII, largely at the expense of Britain/the British Empire.
The USA essentially replacing Britain as the world's economic superpower after WWI and military/imperialist superpower after WWII.
> But... Can we really say that we can turn a blind eye to the world's most evil people? Perhaps we can say "Let Europe handle itself" in 1915, but can we really say that in 1941? Even if 1941 was caused by 1915, can't we admit that there are some things worth fighting over?
WWI started in 1914, not 1915 and WWII started in 1939 (or 1937, if you want to take it from the Japanese invasion of China), not 1941.
1941 (Pearl Harbor) was not caused by 1915 (WWI), it was caused by 1893 and the invasion, overthrow and annexation of Hawaii that led the military of the US empire to be there in the first place.
"Let Europe handle itself" is a simplification of what the United States was thinking and doing before being forced kicking and screaming into finally doing the right thing by Japan and Germany - even after Pearl Harbor, the USA still did not declare war on Hitler.
I doubt it's taught in American schools, but it's no secret that American companies (ie, capitalists) were supporting, supplying and working with the Nazis even after the start of WWII.
People in US do seem to be taught that lots of charity was doled out to Britain. In fact Britain (and its Empire countries), standing alone against the biggest threat to democracy in history, was forced to hand over its gold reserves, its advanced high technology, and even territory to the US, in return for American help.
Not loans at this point in time, of course, because the US believed Britain would fall to Hitler (just as the US had sat back and watched other democracies fall) and therefore would not be in any position to pay the US back.
You're right that some things are worth fighting over, and you're right that WWII is an example of a justified war. It's just a pity that the United States, for all the effort it put in when it finally joined (when Germany's defeat was already a foregone conclusion due to Barbarossa), acted before, during and after WWII with complete self-interest.