[Mattk]

I thought the Spanish-American War was over the sinking of the Maine. Which occured in Cuba. In fact, in a speech McKinley gave to some clergymen, he said that initially, he didn't quite know what to do with the Philippines. He then just thought it was his God-given duty to go in and civilise them.

Basically, the American troops rocked up and faced a somewhat terse stand-off with the Filipino troops. One day, a Filipino soldier walked towards the American line, where he was promptly shot, resulting in a bloody and long war, which the Americans won, in the process losing all desire for war until George W. Bush came along.

Nobody calls the Philippines the "PI" anymore. The Philippine Islands was the term used only during colonial times.