Voice of the White House
September 24, 2019

Washington, D.C.: History is full of murderous manipulatons, always hidden from public view. For example, there is the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor that precipitated the Spanish American War. An expansionist party in America that chanted about 'Manifest Destiny' was eager to expand America in various areas and warmly supported a war with the decaying Spanish Empire. Insurrection in the Spanish colony of Cuba gave these jingoists an excuse to press for war. When the Maine blew up while on a show-the-flag visit to Cuba, war was a foregone conclusion. The sunken battleship was subject to extensive investigation after the war and it was discovered that the massive explosion occurred from inside the ship. In all probability it was the explosion of very volatile coal dust or ammunition placed next to something hot. Since the battleship was manned at the time, neither Spanish nor Cuban revolutionaries could be held accountable. The remains of the Maine were towed out into the Caribbean and sunk in a very deep area, precluding further examination. The news of the day back in 1898 all proclaimed it was a Spanish 'secret weapon' or 'surprise attack.'