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    Wars America Should Have Avoided

    9 min
    |
    6 sources
    |
    Nov 13, 2025
    HistoryPoliticsSociety

    Blythe and Eli dissect America's most disastrous military interventions, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, revealing how the pursuit of global dominance led to tragic miscalculations and unnecessary wars.

    Wars America Should Have Avoided

    This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member

    Input question

    Las guerras en las que USA no debio de haber intervenido

    Host voices
    Blytheplay
    Eliplay
    Knowledge sources
    The United States and Military Intervention: A Troubling Legacy
    link
    https://thesciencesurvey.com/editorial/2025/05/12/the-united-states-and-military-intervention-a-troubling-legacy/
    Iraq and the Pathologies of Primacy: The Flawed Logic That Produced the War Is Alive and Well
    link
    https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/iraq-and-pathologies-primacy
    The American War in Afghanistan
    The Best and the Brightest
    The WikiLeaks Files
    Failed States

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    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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    "Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

    @Matt, YC alum
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    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

    @Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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    254
    likes
    17

    "Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

    @djmikemoore
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    @OojasSalunke
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    "The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

    @Leo, Law Student, UPenn
    platform
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    483

    "Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

    @Cashflowbubu
    platform
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    star
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    star

    "Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

    @Moemenn
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    "I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

    @Chloe, Solo founder, LA
    platform
    comments
    12
    likes
    117

    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

    @Raaaaaachelw
    platform
    star
    star
    star
    star
    star

    "Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

    @Matt, YC alum
    platform
    comments
    12
    likes
    108

    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

    @Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
    platform
    comments
    254
    likes
    17

    "Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

    @djmikemoore
    platform
    star
    star
    star
    star
    star

    "BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

    @Pitiful
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    "BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

    @SofiaP
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    @Jaded_Falcon
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    "It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

    @OojasSalunke
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    star

    "The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

    @Leo, Law Student, UPenn
    platform
    comments
    37
    likes
    483

    "Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

    @Cashflowbubu
    platform
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    Learn Anything, Personalized

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    Featured book summaries
    Crucial ConversationsThe Perfect MarriageInto the WildNever Split the DifferenceAttachedGood to GreatSay Nothing
    Trending categories
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    Celebrities' reading list
    Elon MuskCharlie KirkBill GatesSteve JobsAndrew HubermanJoe RoganJordan Peterson
    Award winning collection
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    Best books by Year
    2025 Best Non Fiction Books2024 Best Non Fiction Books2023 Best Non Fiction Books
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    Key Takeaways

    1

    Opening & Welcome

    0:00

    **Blythe:** Hey everyone, welcome back to your personalized podcast from BeFreed! I'm Blythe, and honestly, I am *so* pumped to dive into today's topic with my co-host Eli because we're tackling something that's been gnawing at me for ages.

    0:14

    **Eli:** And I'm Eli! Oh, this is going to be fascinating, Blythe. We're exploring those American military interventions that, looking back, maybe-just maybe-we should've stayed home for. You know, the wars where hindsight makes you go "yikes, what were we thinking?"

    0:31

    **Blythe:** Exactly! And we've got some incredible source material to work with today that really pulls back the curtain on how these decisions get made. Ready to get a little uncomfortable with some hard truths?

    2

    Topic Introduction & Source Material Setup

    3

    The Pattern of Primacy

    4

    Vietnam: When Brilliance Becomes Blindness

    5

    Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires Claims Another

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