Posted on 09/01/2019 2:10:56 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
My fellow Americans and my friends:
Tonight my single duty is to speak to the whole of America. Until four-thirty this morning I had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in Europe and bring to an end the invasion of Poland by Germany. For four long years a succession of actual wars and constant crises have shaken the entire world and have threatened in each case to bring on the gigantic conflict which is today unhappily a fact.
...I myself cannot and do not prophesy the course of events abroad -- ...I cannot prophesy the immediate economic effect of this new war on our nation but I do say that no American has the moral right to profiteer at the expense either of his fellow citizens or of the men, the women and the children who are living and dying in the midst of war in Europe.
Some things we do know. Most of us in the United States believe in spiritual values. Most of us, regardless of what church we belong to, believe in the spirit of the New Testament -- a great teaching which opposes itself to the use of force, of armed force, of marching armies and falling bombs. The overwhelming masses of our people seek peace...
This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience.
...I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will.
As long as it remains within my power to prevent, there will be no blackout of peace in the United States...
(Excerpt) Read more at millercenter.org ...
FDR was as pinko as Democrats came back then. I firmly believe he knew the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor. If there ever was a president who was working with the Russians it was he. And the Russians were communists then.
We had broke Jap code and believed the ships were safe in Pearl Harbor.
The army did not fear airplanes and worked against every officer who favored air power.
FDR was reported to “ dance a jig” when he learned of the attack.
So much time has passed very few people , like me, remember the attack.
I was 9 and missed the war because Truman dropped the “bomb”.
Pretty good trick for a guy with polio.
A blind Person with the most rudimentary understanding on the Pacific Navy should not have been shocked by the attack on Pearl. If your plan is to take out the fleet...you needed to attack where the fleet was anchored.
Actually good comedy. There was a Simpsons cartoon where they showed FDR kicking Hitler in the ass.
But FDR probably didn’t have polio but Guillain-Barré syndrome,... an autoimmune disorder. It hurt when people touched his legs. That doesn’t happen with polio.
And let’s bunch all the airplanes together so they can be guarded from saboteurs. That worked.
In his wheelchair?
How?
Biden saw this on TV.
I feel good on my text as I heard this on FR years ago.
I have been following you for years and respect York viewpoints.
At the time of the speech the Russians and the Nazis were allies.
How was it, that the Germans sank the USS Reuben James, and we didn’t declare war on Germany right then and there?
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear there was no way for the US to stay out of the war.
Most at the time, thought it was going to be another drawn out war of attrition, but once the Nazis defeated France, most knew it was only a matter of time before we got into the fight.
It was a temporary agreement and understood as such by both Stalin and Hitler. Stalin was shocked that Hitler broke the deal first.
We were very isolationist until Pearl Harbor extreme propaganda in Washington in a matter of very few days changed all that and then FDR was able to sell the idea of war to the U S. People.
It is amazing how minds were changed so quickly.
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