With regard to the most important thing if engaged in an all out war, a global conflict, I suggested that the most important thing is that you win it but from Guest Dave we get this muddled nonsense that contradicts itself:

"The most important thing is the welfare of your citizens. This is far more important than whether you win or not."

Here comes the qualification and the contradiction

"You can argue in some cases, such as the war with Nazi Germany, or a possible war with ISIS (I am still far convinced that there is such a war) that your citizens welfare would suffer so much in the event of defeat that victory would be imperative."

Followed by this piece of idiocy born from complete and utter ignorance and astonishing arrogance:

"In other cases, not so, I would argue that WWI was a case where it was not so."

Let me see care to tell us all how you can tell in advance of a war which case applies? You'd need to be psychic wouldn't you?

Listen to this from Jom and tell me if you can see how idiotic it is:

"It [The First World War] was an Imperialist war brought about by right wing politics.

World War two was brought about by extremist right wing politics driven by a desire for world domination, added to which was a crusade to wipe out an entire people because of their religious beliefs and cultural background."

OK so the First World War was a war of Empires practically all the 1914 combatants were imperial in one form or another some fought to increase their Imperial power by conquest, others fought to preserve their empires. Jom seems to believe it was brought about by right wing politics - he's wrong of course but no-one will ever convince him of that so I see no point in trying.

Now onto the Second World War again caused by right wing politics according to Jom, but if it was driven by a desire for world domination doesn't that by it's very nature (i.e. world wide domination) make it an imperial war? Can you dominate the world without imperial pretensions? This bid for domination by Germany in WWII was like the bid for imperial expansion by Germany in WWI to be achieved by aggression and conquest.

So tell me Dave how come WWII is GOOD whereas WWI was BAD? The wealth, security and safety of the way of life enjoyed by everyone in Europe and everyone in the British Isles was as much under threat in 1914 as it was in 1939 and oddly enough the respective governments in power at the time read it clearly and correctly and thankfully acted accordingly.