4 responses to “A timeless lesson we forget at our peril”
Kathy Kinsley
Never forget too often turns into forget. But we reacted correctly then, and we now have allies instead of enemies. Something we have evidently failed to learn from.
captain*arizona
we never remember that japan did not want to go to war with america and great britian and feared they would be joined by russia. (see yamamotos remarks on going to war with america) when the allies cut off oils shipments to japan they could either surrender to americas demand or fight
Gringo
captain*arizona
when the allies cut off oils shipments to japan they could either surrender to americas demand or fight
I pretty much agree with that statement. However, Japan’s decision to fight the US points out your claim “that Japan didn’t want war with america” left out some rather important conditions. Japan decided that if peace with the US meant that it would also be cut off from US oil to fuel its war machine in China, then it would fight the US.
Japan wanted war with China more than it wanted peace with the US.
Sweden had peace in WW2 by filling its coffers with Nazi gold which paid for Swedish iron ore to feed the Nazi war machine. “Peace” with Japan would have meant the US continued to feed the Japanese war machine with oil exports. “Peace” does not always come with clean hands.
Perhaps, had Japan not attacked the US, it could have fueled its war machine via Indonesian oil- which it did after Pearl Harbor- and not had war with the US. Perhaps. But that isn’t what happened, so I don’t see the point of further hypothetical statements.
I didn’t find out until after my mother died that she had a sweetheart- or at least a good friend with whom she corresponded- who was killed at Pearl Harbor. It was a sadness she kept within her heart. Perhaps because my mother was an Okie, and this song sings of Oklahoma,and Kate Wolf and my mother both died of leukemia, I am reminded of this Kate Wolf song:In China or a Woman’s Heart, There Are Places No One Knows.
Comments
4 responses to “A timeless lesson we forget at our peril”
Never forget too often turns into forget. But we reacted correctly then, and we now have allies instead of enemies. Something we have evidently failed to learn from.
we never remember that japan did not want to go to war with america and great britian and feared they would be joined by russia. (see yamamotos remarks on going to war with america) when the allies cut off oils shipments to japan they could either surrender to americas demand or fight
captain*arizona
when the allies cut off oils shipments to japan they could either surrender to americas demand or fight
I pretty much agree with that statement. However, Japan’s decision to fight the US points out your claim “that Japan didn’t want war with america” left out some rather important conditions. Japan decided that if peace with the US meant that it would also be cut off from US oil to fuel its war machine in China, then it would fight the US.
Japan wanted war with China more than it wanted peace with the US.
Sweden had peace in WW2 by filling its coffers with Nazi gold which paid for Swedish iron ore to feed the Nazi war machine. “Peace” with Japan would have meant the US continued to feed the Japanese war machine with oil exports. “Peace” does not always come with clean hands.
Perhaps, had Japan not attacked the US, it could have fueled its war machine via Indonesian oil- which it did after Pearl Harbor- and not had war with the US. Perhaps. But that isn’t what happened, so I don’t see the point of further hypothetical statements.
I didn’t find out until after my mother died that she had a sweetheart- or at least a good friend with whom she corresponded- who was killed at Pearl Harbor. It was a sadness she kept within her heart. Perhaps because my mother was an Okie, and this song sings of Oklahoma,and Kate Wolf and my mother both died of leukemia, I am reminded of this Kate Wolf song:In China or a Woman’s Heart, There Are Places No One Knows.
That event led to my birth in October 1944.
My Mom was a war worker in the DC area and my Dad was coerced (for the duration) into the US Navy. He was originally in the US Coast Guard.
He spent the war on an oiler. Top speed 9.5 knots. Cruising speed 9.0 knots. He did see some excitement in the battle of Okinawa.