[RecoveringPaulisto]

Would it have been too late to save Pearl Harbor if the we knew what was happening as the Japanese fleet steamed out of harbors in Japan? I dare say we could have saved the fleet at Pearl and ended the war much sooner had we known and taken action against the Japanese threat. The problem I have with intervening before that point is that it is difficult to tell for certain another country’s intent before then. Christian just war theory demands near certainty before going to war. I am not suggesting dismantling our military at all. Furthermore, I’d put more effort into intelligence so we would know the threats that face us and be able to act accordingly. We should be able to respond to any reasonably predictable threat. I never suggested otherwise. I’m only suggesting we could do that with a somewhat smaller military than today.

Personally, and I know this might be a tad bit presumptuous, if I were President I would have the Pentagon draw up plans for the outline (much more detailed, obviously) I provided in post 33 and they could come back and tell what they needed to accomplish that mission and then I could go ask Congress to give the Pentagon the funds for it. I suspect we could do it with a much smaller military force in much more limited overseas military bases.

I do not think we should be involved in domestic struggles, like Libya or any other Middle Eastern country right now. It is impossible for us to sort out their problems. If they attack or are preparing to attack us, we should respond with the full might of the United States, but that’s not happening right now.

[tanknetter]

Would it have been too late to save Pearl Harbor if the we knew what was happening as the Japanese fleet steamed out of harbors in Japan? I dare say we could have saved the fleet at Pearl and ended the war much sooner had we known and taken action against the Japanese threat.

Not to throw out an overused (if completely accurate) cliche, but a country goes to war with the military it has.

Pearl Harbor was in many ways a godsend for the US, because while the US was caught by surprise if the US HAD known, and sortied the Pacific Fleet under Warplan Orange, that fleet would have been slaughtered on the open seas by the Japanese Fleet.

As it was, there was a great deal of good fortune involved in how the US Pacific Fleet carriers (Lexington, Saratoga and Enterprise) were all away from Pearl when the attack happened. AND that the US could quickly move three additional carriers (Yorktown, Hornet and Wasp) from the Atlantic into the Pacific. And there was an enormous amount of luck involved in how those carriers managed to hold the line throughout 1942. As it was, true offensive US Naval operations didn't begin until 1944, and owe a great deal of success to how the flaws with the Japanese training structure prevented them from replacing the pilots lost at Midway.