[Vermont Lt]

As someone who wasn’t there, after reading for the past several weeks I have to wonder if the war with Japan was really a shock to people? I understand the attack on PH WAS a surprise, but was the general idea of war with Japan that out of the realm of belief?

It just seems like every day I read one thing after another that made it inevitable.

Or am I just projecting my understanding of the outcome?

Just curious. I would like to hear others opinions on this?

[BroJoeK]

Vermont Lt: "I understand the attack on PH WAS a surprise, but was the general idea of war with Japan that out of the realm of belief?"

I've always assumed that the NY Times, then as now, was usually just a mouthpiece for the Democrat president, FDR.
So, we note the attitudes expressed by the two cartoons here referencing Japan -- by today's standards utterly politically incorrect, but expressing widely shared feelings of the time.

Note the Japanese are portrayed as inferior people, and in naval power, to the point of extreme mockery.
From the cartoonists perspective the Japanese would be easy to defeat, and ridiculous to challenge us.

Of course, you never can tell what they might do...

[PeterPrinciple]

As someone who wasn’t there, after reading for the past several weeks I have to wonder if the war with Japan was really a shock to people?

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I have the same thoughts. Find it very interesting to see all the little things adding up. My uncle was injured on Iwo Jima so the find the Pacific history interesting.

To put in today's context, we all knew the housing crises was coming, we could see it. What we didn't know was how and win. It came later than I thought is should and I didn't think the govt would get that involved to screw it up.

We can all see the debt crises coming now, we know things can't continue. Again, what we don't know is the when and how.

[CougarGA7]

You should read some of the headlines from Honolulu newspapers leading up to the attack. Many of them make is seem like war is definite.