Posted on 12/06/2016 6:12:30 AM PST by mandaladon
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during a press conference Monday it was natural for World War II veterans to be “embittered” about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Pearl Harbor, but they should get over it for the sake of America.
It was announced Monday that Abe will be the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor since it was hit by a surprise attack that killed 2,403 Americans and brought the U.S. into World War II. The visit reciprocates President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima earlier this year for the anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on the city.
Abe said in a short statement he would pray for those who died in the war, but gave no indication he would express regret for Japan’s surprise attack.
During a White House press briefing Monday, Earnest was asked whether veterans may be offended by Abe’s visit if he expressed no regret over the attack.
Earnest responded by saying veterans may very well feel “embittered,” especially if they personally fought in World War II.
“If I were a World War II veteran who was drafted by the United States military to go and fight for our country overseas in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, I might feel quite embittered, and I think it would be a perfectly natural and understandable human reaction to not be particularly satisfied with the words of the Japanese Prime Minister,” Earnest said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bizpacreview.com ...
My point is that it is ridiculous for anyone to expect foreign leaders who had no involvement in a military campaign or other atrocity to conduct themselves as if they have responsibility for something that happened a long time ago. I suspect this mindset may even have some pathological roots, when it is found in people who have no connection to the conflict or atrocity at all. It's one thing for a World War II veteran to harbor bitterness and resentment, but if his grandchildren harbor the same bitterness and resentment then they are no different than the professional malcontents in the "Black Lives Matter" movement who run around demanding reparations for slavery. That's just my humble opinion.
Maybe if the people running governments around the world had 1/100 of the humility and decency of the average individual then less wars would start, and those that did might not last as long.
I agree with that 100%. Dwelling on a war that ended 71 years ago doesn't reinforce your point, though.
Good post. Thanks.
There are still some people on this site that pretend like they have some legit grudge against the royal family of Britain because of the revolution even though members have visited Washington’s tomb and many other revolution sites since the 1860 until recently, as invited guests.
Right. LOL.
I can’t wait for Obama and his mob of asswipes to be out of OUR White House. That can’t happen soon enough to suit me.
“I will never criticize a World War II veteran who may have bitterness towards the Germans or Japanese.”
Yes, I understand perfectly well that harboring anger for generations on end does not result in a better world. But neither does an absence of memory, because history tends to repeat itself (or at least rhyme, as someone once said). Japan hasn’t done what Germany has - faced up to what its culture produced 3 generations ago. Japan has studiously avoided educating its own people about the entire era - and that most definitely makes me want to walk with my back to the wall when dealing with them, as it breeds intense distrust in anyone who knows and understands history.
J Earnest is a bitter little sniveling idiot. Where in the hell do these rats find these stupid pos?
So when will we be able to get over this dumb ass obama?
He was in the Navy at the time of Pearl Harbor, stationed in the Phillipines. He survived the fighting there, as well as the Bataan Death March, and was interned in a Japanese POW camp for 3 years.
In late 1944, the took him (and others) and moved them to camps on the mainland on "hell ships". Stale air, terrible heat and humidity, little food or water and unmarked, so that they were subject to immediate attack by US aircraft and submarines.
They put him in a new camp in Japan - just outside the city of Nagasaki.
And then, this man thanked ME for MY service! I still get choked up over this.
I have nothing but contempt for the America-hating clowns that infest this administration. They can't leave quickly enough!
Someone pointed out on another thread on this very subject but came to the opposite conclusion. They said the two different approaches (Japan vs. Germany) to dealing with sordid chapters in the history of those countries might explain why Germany is bending over backwards to let itself be overrun by Muslims today, while Islam is practically nonexistent in Japan.
While at the memorial as I was explaibg what it meant to my 5 year old son as he sat on the bench looking down at the ship's watery grave, he started to cry, and cry hard.
All he could sad say, would say, was that we had to get the men out insisting that we had to get them out, cause their Moms needed them.
Two Navy Wave,s came over to sit with him and Hug him tightly and calm him down.
they continued hugging him all the way back to dock and they were crying to quietly too.
When we dis boarded they were asked why they were crying. When they told the askers, more crying started all around.
Bye Bye Josh; don’t let the door slam you in the arse! And, take the rest of the scum with you. January 20th can’t get here fast enough.
FDR got us into WWII, he moved the fleet to a base that was asking to be attacked. He fired the commander who told him this was a very bad idea.
Had we lost the carriers, and/or the attack targeted the oil storage facilities and subs, the war would have lasted much much longer, with many direct bombing attacks on western US cities.
Just because we eventually prevailed, with tremendous loss of life, doesn’t mean it was not a mistake on the part of FDR.
The present occupant of the White House should get over colonialism
No offense, but that tells me he was way too young to hear what you told him.
Was not addressing embitterment in my post.... I am tired of listening to and seeing Josh smugly telling everyone what to do and think. Will be glad when he is gone from the WH and is on CNN that I never watch.
Wow! Thanks for sharing and for your service.
Humbly,
FMOKM
The two Navy enlisted women that sat with and hugged him, to this day, would disagree with you.
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