RE: [WW] OT America under Attack Letter

["Bobby Farris" <BJ@redbow.net>]

> You do understand that it was only a screw-up on timing issues
> that had the
> Japanese declaration of war on America happen half an hour after the
> attack, instead of half an hour before?

Since this has some bearings on WWII I will reply. I didn't like sending
that off topic message to the list, but there are certain times when you
have to act.

You are correct. If the Japanese had done things correctly the United States
would have been delivered a paper 30 minutes to an hour before the planned
attack on Pearl Harbor.

That paper did not say we were at war, but said that negotiations where at a
standstill and broke diplomatic ties.

Two things here....
1) The Japanese planned the attack on Pearl Harbor while negotiating. They
moved their fleet into attack position while still negotiating.

2) The paper only broke diplomatic ties. It did NOT declare war or warn of
an attack.


> I've heard folks say that they can not understand why the US
> dropped nukes
> on Japan during WWII - with the claim of "evil government
> conspiracy" being
> the root of the reason.

I have never understood the people who do not understand why we dropped the
nukes on Japan. If we hadn't dropped the nukes the loss of lives would have
been in the millions on both sides.

> In the following days when you listen to the rhetoric and cries for
> retribution, for justice, and what-not - imagine a few things.  Imagine
> that this happened in a less media savvy time where the people are less
> jaded about their politicians.

I am a minor historian...I do find this somewhat neat, though horrific. This
is how Pearl Harbor would have gone down if it was in a modern time. I do
believe that.