I'm not contesting any of those views, I am saying that the costs to the North were significant and the drain of resources caused by the poorer South continues

I'm not contesting any of those views, I am saying that the costs to the North were significant and the drain of resources caused by the poorer South continues to be significant. Using the civil war to justify another military action against a portion of the country that simply votes out would be an example of learning nothing from the past.