Posted on 12/06/2016 6:12:30 AM PST by mandaladon
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during a press conference Monday it was natural for World War II veterans to be “embittered” about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Pearl Harbor, but they should get over it for the sake of America.
It was announced Monday that Abe will be the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor since it was hit by a surprise attack that killed 2,403 Americans and brought the U.S. into World War II. The visit reciprocates President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima earlier this year for the anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on the city.
Abe said in a short statement he would pray for those who died in the war, but gave no indication he would express regret for Japan’s surprise attack.
During a White House press briefing Monday, Earnest was asked whether veterans may be offended by Abe’s visit if he expressed no regret over the attack.
Earnest responded by saying veterans may very well feel “embittered,” especially if they personally fought in World War II.
“If I were a World War II veteran who was drafted by the United States military to go and fight for our country overseas in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, I might feel quite embittered, and I think it would be a perfectly natural and understandable human reaction to not be particularly satisfied with the words of the Japanese Prime Minister,” Earnest said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bizpacreview.com ...
-PJ
Obama, we were here before you got here and we’ll be here after you’re gone. And, we’ll still believe and think the way we have always believed and thought.
If vets who saw their friends killed in front of them by an unprovoked attack by Japan need to “get over it,” then the f’ing Dems should “get over it” about losing an election. At least none of them died (well, except for Seth Rich and probably a few others that we don’t know about yet who opposed Hillary).
The bigger factor is that Obama himself has to “get over it” about his policies being utterly rejected in this past election, as well as in 2010 and 2014.
Oh, and as far as the vets are concerned - they’re entitled to be bitter. As mentioned, many lost friends in that attack. Many, many more lost friends and relatives throughout the war in the Pacific, and at the very least they had 3-4 years cut out of their lives - all to fight an aggressive and brutal dictatorship. PM Abe represents that empire - not because the government is the same, or because the empire still exists (obviously neither is true), but because he is the leader of the nation which created that empire and its policies. Now, if he’s here to apologize on behalf of the Japanese nation for starting the war (and he would then necessarily have to apologize also to China, Korea and a host of other nations in Asia), then I see no reason for continued bitterness...but I’m not holding my breath waiting for that to occur. We will see shortly.
I guess the ANALyst never heard of Nanking, Manila, Singapore, and a host of other places before, on and after Pearl. I will concede they did not attack Honolulu directly but what would have been the military benefit, their mission was to destroy the US pacific fleet, not invade the Islands which at that time was a US Territory. Only so many bombs and torpedoes can be launched from a fixed number of air craft carriers and surely not heavy bombers. I suspect had they had sufficient numbers of their heavy bombers near to Hawaii they would have bombed more than just the military bases on and around Oahu.
Personal note, my uncle recalled for me sometime ago he was a crewman in a PBY that chased off a four engine Jap bomber somewhere in the south pacific around 43 or so. He was surprised as they were hopelessly outgunned and under speed to engage such a plane.
Worth repeating!
Trump tweeted it was natural for snow flakes to be embittered and cry after the election but they should get over it for the sake of America?
Both of my parents were WWII veterans. I will not get over their patriotism and love for this country. What we have become in this nation is a mockery for those who fought and often died as well as citizens who sacrificed their lives and livelihood to help make this country great, May God help us to return to those values.
I have (had)two Uncles who saw action in WW2. They would tell us amazing and sometimes funny stories about their experiences (India and the So Pacific). At no time did I ever experience any bitterness towards the Japanese coming from them.
I think that as long as we kicked their asses the way we did that was enough for them.
I guess he never studied what happened to civilians in places occupied by Japan ... Like Nanching/China, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines
Josh.... you ain’t nothing and never was but your soap box is rotting away so like Eric said... STFU and go hit on the pajama boy, maybe you will get lucky.
“There isn’t a single thing that comes out of this clown’s mouth that isn’t an insult.”
He learned from his god in the white mosque, who set just that tone for 8 years.
If I were a clueless idiot acting as the spokesman for Obama, I might feel quite embarrassed.
What an absolute disrespectful jerk. He doesn’t have the right to shine those guys shoes.
Those guys got over it when they sunk both the carriers at Midway that launched the sneak attack.
Pray America woke
“If I were a clueless idiot acting as the spokesman for Obama, I might feel quite embarrassed.”
Nah, the pay and perks are too good. That’s why he does it, although his children have every reason to be ashamed of their racist bigot father.
A man escapes from a prison where he’s been locked up for 15 years. He breaks into a house and inside, he finds a young couple in bed. He tells Josh Earnest to sit in a chair. While tying the wife to the bed, the convict gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom.
While he’s in there, Josh Earnest whispers over to his wife, “Listen, this guy is an escaped convict. Look at his clothes! He’s probably spent a lot of time in jail and hasn’t seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck. If he wants sex, don’t resist, don’t complain. Do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is obviously very dangerous. If he gets angry, he’ll kill us both. Be strong, honey. I love you!”
She responds: “He wasn’t kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me that he’s gay, thinks you’re cute, and asked if we had any Vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong Josh Earnest. I love you, too.”
“I agree with you. I never understood the resentment anyone would have against a foreign country that hasn’t been an enemy of ours in decades.”
When they apologize for all of that, then we can talk about moving on. Until that point, their failure to apologize for the actions of their grandparents and great grandparents is a strong signal that they think it was OK to do what they did - and I simply cannot understand how you both feel that such an implied statement by the Japanese people SHOULDN’T be resented.
Hear hear!!!
“He ‘conveniently’ forgets just how many people signed up immediately upon hearing the news of the Pearl Harbor attack.”
I don’t think he “conveniently forgot”. I think the concept of patriotism and voluntarily fighting for one’s country is completely foriegn to him.
I will be in that line.... my guess is that it will stretch from the sewer she is plopped in all the way back to Josh Idiot.....errr Ernst’s rat hole.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.