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General Billy Mitchell was court martialed in 1926. One of his "outrageous" statements was that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor. In fact, the Japanese War College had war gamed this particular scenario at that early date.

The operations in Afghanistan are not new and in all liklihood have also been war gamed. The military must always prepare for action against anticipated enemies.

The on-going arguments surrounding the decryption of the famous "East Winds Rain" transmission will continue for many generations. Did FDR "allow" Pearl Harbor to happen by ignoring the strategic warnings? Maybe. But given the America First movement and the "peace above all" atmosphere is the US after more two years of war in Europe suggests that maybe FDR knew that we needed to come in on the side of "Truth, Justice and the American way" by whatever means possible.

What would the world be like today had we allowed Germany the time to consolidate its holdings, complete the "Final Solution" and develop the jet fighters, bombers, and missiles to defend the Fatherland. Might the mushroom clouds have occurred over Washington D.C., NYC and Boston????

All very good points made.

Could you please separate (a) possible FDR foreknowledge of the Pearl Harbor and probable/likely denial of that information from Kimmel/Short, and (b) FDR's rationale for US entry into WWII? [End depression, help UK, ..., etc.]

Thank you.

That's the case that Stinnett makes, that FDR dishonestly got us into WWII, but that he was right to get us in. Capt. Beach made that case in Scapegoats a few years ago. It all depends on what your moral judgment is, and what you think might have happened had history gone differently. Myself, I think it was perfectly possible for FDR to persuade the American people to enter the war by speaking honestly, and that his failure to do so set a disastrous precedent.