>Do they still see it that way? -- Yes.
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>What, precisely, did France do wrong?
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>And just who would those troops be? Mexicans? bwahahahahah. The newest car in Mexico is a 1969 Oldsmobile.
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>You miss my point. If you want to be disparaging towards others ;-) you need to compare your situation with theirs to show how you would be superior.
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>So in 1940 France had crack German troops with air support pouring through the Ardenes. Before slinging off at France, ask how the US would have performed if those same troops had poured across your borders in 1940, bombing and overrunning the industries and transportation you need to wage war and arriving in Washington DC and both coasts in a matter of days to cut you off.
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>Unless you are convinced that the US would have done better, you should thank your lucky stars that the cities, railways and infrastructure being destroyed were in somebody else's yard, with the US mainland completely untouched (apart from a Japanese balloon that crossed the coast and killed some civilians who decided to mess with it)

Just thinking about Germany invading France. As I recall France was the first nation to design their railroad. They did so before laying any track. Other nations allowed railroads to go their merry way based upon this or that. The French design positioned Paris as the countries hub. All tracks headed to Paris.

England had five railroads whose track was laid side by side. Each railroad was privately owned and they competed with each other. They all went bankrupt and the government had to take over.

The Maginot Line was thought by France to be impenetrable, so the French stationed their oldest soldiers who were poorly equipped in that area. The Germans attacked the Maginot Line with ease, had many miles of Tiger tanks lined up and headed for the French railway. Then they loaded the Tanks, men and equipment on trains and headed for Paris.

The United States has oceans on two sides which have protected us from events such as have occurred in Europe for hundreds of years. However, who needs barriers when you can drop a bomb or two in the right place.

By the way I have a cousin named Krystina, who is Polish, as was her recently deceased husband. Krystina’s husband was a fighter pilot during the battle of Warsaw. He and his buddies escaped to France where they flew for the French, only to be captured after the Germans invaded France and the Polish pilots were sent to a concentration camp. They escaped to Morocco and joined the RAF, and flew until the end of the war.

So far the United States has been protected by circumstance and technology. That cannot last.