Free Republic University, Department of History presents
World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment:
New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view
Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our
general discussion thread Note the article about award to recently captured RAF pilot Whitney Straight. He escaped through Spain to Gibraltar and rejoined the RAF. He was a naturalized British subject.
His brother Michael Straight became an underground Soviet agent in the US, FDR speechwriter and editor of The New Republic. Michael confessed to the FBI in 1963 and named Anthony Blunt as another Soviet agent.
August 9 MAJOR EINSATZGRUPPEN MASSACRES OF JEWS, 1941-1942 (Balkans)
"Germany occupied Serbia in 1941, interned most of its 16,000 Jews, and shot or gassed most of them.
The pro-Nazi Ustasa government in Croatia interned about 30,000 Jews, most in the Jasenovac camp, where 20,000 Jews perished."
"A diagram drawn by an unidentified German soldier describes details of an Aktion at Zhitomir in the Ukraine, during which about 500 Jews were shot.
As illustrated, Jews were forced to dig a ditch and then kneel at the edge. Each would be shot in the back of the head and then fall into the ditch."
I'm moving your response to today's thread so that it will actually get seen. Normally I just ignore your posts that are not timely, but since I posted relatively late last night, I'll give you a pass. You wrote:
CougarGA7: "This is actually the second time you have posted the 8 items and the third time I’ve seen them posted on these threads. So much for “never actually listed”." I recently posted a barely legible photocopy of one page of McCollum's memo. The posting's purpose was not to discuss the eight-actions, but simply demonstrate that the memo is real.
CougarGA7: "I already put in my two cents on these last month. It’s just not as impressive as the conspiracy nuts want to believe it is."
It demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt the inspiration behind Roosevelt's actions toward Japan in 1941 -- the need to create "much ado" in the hopes that if "Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better."
It shows that FDR was not acting randomly, or maneuvering to avoid war, but rather was purposely doing the opposite.
Of course, it in no way proves that FDR's inner circle knew or suspected an attack was coming on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941. But it does show that in some ways he wanted and expected some such attack.
And just so we keep things on the "fair and balanced" side -- if you are going to call me a "conspiracy nut", then I'll call you a "Pearl Harbor denier", pal. ;-)
Though I didn't call you specifically a conspiracy nut in that post, I do appreciate that you recognize that you fall into that group. Understanding you have a problem is the first step towards a remedy. As to calling me a "Pearl Harbor denier", I think that's pretty funny. I don't recall ever denying Pearl Harbor happened, but whatever makes you feel better about yourself.
Now I had actually forgotten about your posting the photocopy of the memo, so I stand corrected. You have posted McCollum's 8 point memo three times, not two. And it's been posted 4 times total.
The problems with the McCollum memo are really many. As for those who read my breakdown of the memo last month will have seen. Aside from the fact that there has never been any proof that this memo was even seen by the President, it just isn't impressive.
Three of the items on the list never happened, two were already policy, two were a logical extension of an existing policy and one happened late and clearly unrelated to any memo, but related to a shift in planning in the War Department.
So again, I don't see any proof here that FDR knew Pearl Harbor was going to get hit and allowed his fleet to get sunk.