And now, America's number one show on pop culture and politics.

This is the Michael Medved Show.

And another great day in this greatest nation on God's Green Earth, a great day to confront a great, deeply significant anniversary.

It's about 100 years.

Yeah, that's right. A hundred years, a full century since the beginning of World War I. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars.

It didn't work out that way. And confronting the anniversary of that war, it's also an appropriate

time to confront a painful question

for Americans. Did we make a profound mistake by getting involved in this incredibly bloody

and destructive conflict? That's the subject of this very special broadcast of the Michael

Medved show, World War I, the Great War or America's Greatest Mistake?

The music of Over There, the unofficial battle song that sent American doughboys across the Atlantic,

two million of them, to battle in the trenches of Europe.

That song captures some of the optimistic spirit at the beginning

of the war. It's a song by George M. Cohen, the great Broadway composer, the author of A Grand Old

Flag, I'm Yankee, Doodle, Dandy, give my regards to Broadway, so many hits, he wrote the song

just days after Wilson had declared war on Germany, which was nearly three years after the war itself had begun in Europe.

And some of the words of the song over there indicate some of the problems about the decision to go to war.

Because while it's very staring and over there sort of implies that Americans don't really know where they're going or why,

there is no explanation anywhere in the song of what we're fighting for.

In fact, the closest thing you have to declaring a purpose for the war, and over there, is hoist the flag and let her fly.

Yankee doodle, do or die.

Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit.

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