"War is the ultimate failure." Always thought it was, "...the continuation of policy by other means", Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831).

Has America ever won a war? - Yes loads of them, haven't any of you seen the movies.

Interesting post on the 1812 War, HuwG. A book "The Lion & The Eagle" among others put "Orders-in-Council" and impressment of American sailors as being only the pretexts given for "Mr Madison's War" What the pro-war faction in the United States wanted a war for was to break the Treaty signed with the Indian nations and allow expansion into and beyond the Ohio and Wabash Valleys. In short just another land grab.

"Oh the Redman was pressed
From his home in the West
Grasping Founding Fathers grabbed more
And in deals with the Frog's
Bought up hills, streams and bogs
Till the land stretch-ed from shore to shore"