Posted on 12/07/2020 4:51:32 AM PST by EyesOfTX
The cause of Pearl Harbor was a plot by Franklin d Roosevelt. It worked. Most people were fooled.
ping
As the great Thomas Schelling wrote in the introduction to the great Roberta Wohlstetter’s book Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision, the ultimate failure was lack of imagination. Simply no one imagined that Japan or anyone could do what Japan proceeded to do. Hence the U.S. was utterly unprepared.
Only a fool - or a traitor - would concentrate naval assets in one easy to hit targets. Such, for example, concentrating all of the east coast carriers in one port instead of leaving them spread out in multiple ports.
Let’s see - who was President in 2007?
FDR wanted that attack to happen so badly, he could taste it. My grandfather, a reporter at the time for the New York Journal, said he saw FDR stand up from his wheelchair and do a bit of a jig when news reached him.
Of course he knew it was coming and he was willing to sacrifice American lives to let it happen.
This may very well be true. But what the last year showed is that whoever takes over America will do so very easily. Just strike fear and the people will fall in line.
He was like Rahm, never let a crisis go to waste. FDR needed the US citizens mad and motivated for war. For some reason that happened! I guess Japan was like a tube of toothpaste, squeeze the hell out of the bottom and the paste comes rushing out the top........
Did you know that Yamamoto lost two fingers in last big naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War?
Three, and he would have been medically discharged.
“In closing, America also bears some of the blame...”
Ah so...the “Blame America” is strong in this one.
Good article!
And hindsight is 20/20....so is being an armchair general.
Keep in mind we had conducted training exercises where our carriers attacked Pearl Harbor several times in the 30s. We knew it could happen.
My Dad served in Hawaii for about a year during the war, before landings in New Guinea, the Philippines & Japan.
He always blamed FDR for Pearl Harbor, but I don't.
The reason is that Washington sent out "War Warnings" to all Pacific commanders, from the Panama Canal to the Philippines.
All were told to be ready for war, but not one was, even MacArthur.
Nor were the Brits in Hong Kong & Singapore.
Those failures are not FDR's fault.
The posting's closing argument, President Reagan's policy of "peace through strength" is the antithesis of that traditional foreign policy and the outcome was palpably evident. For a short time we were the world's only "super power".
We are seeing that all change back as the liberals (globalists) take control and once again, we are destined to pay a terrible price.
In the weeks before December 7, Washington sent out official "War Warnings" to all Pacific commanders, from the Panama Canal to the Philippines.
All were told to be ready for war, but none, in fact, were, not even MacArthur.
There is no evidence suggesting that FDR knew specifically of the attack on Pearl Harbor in advance.
I believe the UK successfully attacked an Italian naval base in such a manner as well at the start of WWII.
Admiral Richardson did not think the move from San Diego to Pearl Harbor was wise, so FDR replaced him with Kimmel.
But I've seen no evidence to suggest that even Richardson predicted a Japanese attack on the fleet there.
FDR was willing to risk a ship or two in the South China Sea, but did not imagine the whole fleet destroyed in Hawaii.
Nobody believed the Japanese could pull off such an attack.
Taranto. They sank/disabled three Italian battleships. IIRC the harbor was similar to PH in terms of depth. The Japanese learned from this and adopted their tactics to the attack on PH.
Nobody in 1941 thought the Japanese could or would attack Pearl Harbor first, without warnings.
As has happened more than once, we underestimated our enemies.
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