Posted on 06/09/2017 12:48:42 PM PDT by LSUfan
Perhaps the most interesting part of the whole Chinese assessment is a few sentences near the end when the issue of war termination from the Japanese perspective is broached. It is noted that the entire goal of the Japanese war effort in spring 1942 was how to get the Americans to engage in “negotiations to end the war.” [停战谈判] Here, there is the ironic observation that the more victories that the Japanese side was able to achieve, the less palatable was the idea in the United States that Washington could negotiate with Tokyo. This point then shows a recognition that once wars are started, even when militarily successful, they may be extremely difficult to end.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...
One of the leaders of a nearby Southeast Asian country, I believe it was Thailand but I’m not sure, said after the war that the period from 1965 to 1975 allowed his country a chance to avoid turning red. This article by the New York Times no less discusses the overall situation:
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/23/opinion/23iht-edmilt.t.html
“Actually, there is a strong American isolationist bent today as in 1941.
That isolationist philosophy is very strong on Free Republic where there is a keen desire to retreat from anything international.”
Our enemies react when we show a lack of resolve. We desperately need clear goals and the courage and ability to follow through. Leave empty space and it is filled with threat.
“that we still are a God fearing Christian nation”
Oh I am not at all convinced on that point FRiend. Take a look at our culture. Morally speaking I don’t even think Lot or Noah had to put up with what we Christians living in America have been putting up with for decades.
Abortion, sexual debauchery with no bounds, homosexuality with no bounds, now transgenderism, racism on par with almost genocide being taught in schools. I could go on forever.
We’re a million miles away from the nation we were in the 1940s.
torpedo-laden Avengers’ sacrifice was not in vain as they successfully diverted the Japanese carriers’ fighter cover, allowing the U.S. Devastator dive bombers a clear path to wreak their fury against the crown jewels of the Japanese Navy
At Midway the US Carrier launched Torpedo bombers were Douglas TBD “Devastators” (what Lem Massey flew) The Carrier launch dive bombers were Douglas SBD “Dauntless”
There were a few of the new Grumman TBF “Avenger” that were launched from Midway but really didn’t factor that much
I’m guessing that you are what we term an “armchair tactician”. The reasons we are still fighting are:
1. We are using minimal forces and assets to try to bring the local forces up to speed so that they can take over.
2. Obama cut our forces severely back, we stopped the momentum we had going.
3. Other cutbacks and withdrawals generated more enemies, i.e.; ISIS
Think you can do better, run for office - or better yet, sign up and fight. Conservatism ought to be the face of courage, not weak-kneed cowards.
Our country, our way of life, is either worth fighting for - or we will deserve what we get.
We would still be fighting Germany and Japan.
“The job of keeping our country free and safe rests on the shoulders of those remaining young people we have the guts, the skills and the willpower to fight in nasty, remote places to keep the threats where they are, not here.”
Been there, done that. I say we nuke them and be done with it.
And in case you haven’t noticed we aren’t keeping them “over there”. They’re in Brussels, London, Manchester, San Bernadine, Orlando, Ft. Hood, New Jersey, .......
Our current strategy is a failure.
Time to get Roman on those savages.
L
........these naval battles in 42 utilized 1942 communications. Doing the math, that’s 75 years ago.
Great sacrifice was made just “finding” the enemy 75 years ago. Today, with Satellites, we know where there ships are exactly every second of every day.
A Naval battle by the Chinese vs the US is UNTHINKABLE and they know it. All their ships would be lost in hours!
And you must spend a lot of time around the maps with the gen-gens that run this show? Maybe you can clue me in on what they are thinking? I have been in the ‘Stan for most of the last five years and I know what I see here and I know what it looks like compared to 5 years ago. I am here now. We do not appear to be fighting for the “American way of life” here, or doing much of anything at the moment. As for the weak kneed coward comment, just bite me. Good day.
Cute. I will assume that you were nowhere near our fighting in Vietnam.
No, it's support our armed forces like you did in WW II, we'll win - support the armed forces like you did for the men in Vietnam, you'll lose.
We fought well and courageously. The people at home, not so much.
We have had several leaders in a row cutting things back and then telling the Talis when and where we're going to leave.
Need to serious combat forces back into it - or get gone.
I increasingly believe we should capitulate in the mideast and come home.
We can fight it over there, or over here..................
And the NYT would be leaking our military plans.
Indeed, one of the more disturbing lessons that could hypothetically emerge from this Chinese study of Midway is the conclusion that the Japanese failed to build and concentrate sufficient effort against Hawaii.
Thoughts?
Here are some other differences:
1. Germany, Japan, and Italy were established states with millions of soldiers, ten of thousands of combat aircraft, and thousands of ships.
2. Germany, Japan, and Italy posed an existential threat to the western alliance that opposed them.
3. Germany, Japan, and Italy were (and still are)established geopolitical states with significant territories, populations, industrial capacities, natural resources, and financial assets that formed the basis of their military and political power.
4. Germany, Japan, and Italy, although certainly imperfect in their execution, fought the war following the generally accepted rules of warfare.
5. The subordination of the military in Germany, Japan, and Italy to their national civilian political leadership was an established fact.
6. Average daily US military KIA rate during WWII: 299 KIA/day
(407,316 KIA/1364 days (7 Dec 42 through 2 Sep 45)
(Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties#Military_casualties_by_branch_of_service)
(Daily rate calculation is my own.)
7. Average daily US military AND civilian KIA rate during the War on Terror: 2 KIA/day
(10,008/5744 days (11 Sep 01 to present)
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=War_on_Terror&stable=1 (Although very recently edited, I suspect these numbers do not reflect American deaths in the most recent attacks in Europe.))
(Daily rate calculation is my own.)
8. Estimated number of Muslims in the world: 1.5 billion
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_world#Demographics)
9. If x% of the world’s Muslims were terrorists:
a. 1% = 15,000,000
b. 1/10 of 1% = 1, 500,000
c. 1/100 of 1% = 150,000
10. Estimated number of Muslim terrorists: No accurate number available. Highest number cited was 325,000 “subject to extremist radicalization.” Let’s say the estimates are off by 300% and make it an even 1,000,000.
At that figure, Muslim terrorists would constitute less that 1/10th of 1% of the world population of Muslims.
Different kind of enemy, different kind of war.
All this said, it would sure would be nice if the 99.999% of Muslims who are probably not radicalized extremist Muslim terrorists would start sounding off very loudly and continuously that the actions of the terrorists do not represent them or their religion.
Western non-Muslims talking about Islam have no credibility within Muslim communities. The War on Terror won’t end until the Muslim community itself turns anyone preaching, teaching, or practicing terror on behalf of Islam into a pariah and an outcast.
I am just a contractor now. I used travel a lot here in my job. There are not many places to travel to now because we closed most of them. We have given up a lot of the country in the past few years. My thought is that either we need to try to win this or leave, but that is just me.
Yet this approach has run its course. China must now grapple with formidable geographic, economic, structural, demographic, and cultural factors that constrain its expansion as even a regional power. Like Japan in the 1980s, China's economic model has had its run and she must soon confront internal economic and political problems that lack any clear or easy resolution.
Americans who think that China is destined to become a superpower that vies against the US should consider what the Chinese business elite believes: they flaunt US made clothing and household products as status symbols, have illegally moved billions of dollars of their personal wealth outside of China, and are urgently seeking foreign residences, foreign passports, and foreign university admissions and jobs for their children. In short, for their own futures, they are not betting on China.
Finally, Americans, above all peoples in the world, should have a sense of confidence in the ability of themselves and their country to rise to and overcome difficulties and adversaries in even the most desperate circumstances. We have a history of doing that, again and again, surprising the world -- and sometimes even ourselves. That is not a track record that one should bet against.
I am with you on that
I hope the President gets serious.
Semper Fi
“We have given up a lot of the country in the past few years. My thought is that either we need to try to win this or leave,...”
Geez, I’m having flashbacks to Tet.
Collapsing and collapsing and then evacuating...
Top NV General wrote much later that Tet was their last, great hope; had we stayed, and held a line after that they would have folded like a cheap suit because they’d thrown it all at us in that offensive.
But, of course, we had the likes of Jane Fonda and Walter Cronkite to tell us that it was better for us to pull the plug...
Look, I was just a kid, but I had enough head on my shoulders even back then to read the tea leaves and understand we were taking a canvas nap for political purposes.
I felt horrible for our troops; they deserved a solid victory after all that crap, but spaghetti-spined leftards and their shrinking violet GOP kin in D.C. hadn’t the stomach to win; they needed the votes of the Flower Children to shore up their cash flows.
DAMN I’d hate to see a repeat of that scene unfold in Afghanistan. Most disgustingly would be the final vindication of every cheap Washington fat cat who ever wagged their meaty finger at a camera and warned us against a “quagmire.”
I’m queasy just mulling the possibility we could — once again, and for purely political reasons — snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Just...DAMN!
Maybe things will change.
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