Posted on 01/21/2005 7:48:22 PM PST by granite
Great post. Thanks. I know many people that need to read this.
No offense was intended. The reason why I didn't point out the errors is that I didn't think they were critically important to the topic we were discussing. For example, Germany declared war on us after Pearl Harbor, not the other way around. The reason why they did this is because they had a mutual protection pact with Japan. So, as soon as we declared war on Japan, Germany declared war on us. I had previously read the US government documents on the causes for our entry to WWII which I would highly recommend all to read, but I'm unable to find them at the moment to provide a link.
You can see Congressional documents on Germany's declaration of war, and our own, at the following web site:
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/germwar.html
bttt
The reason we are in Iraq isn't WW2 (although the author makes a good try.
The reason that we are there is our lessons from the Cold War.
For 50+ years, we "contained" the Soviets and Chinese with our presence in West Germany, Phillipines, VietNam, etc. It was a low-level war, with jets scrambling, spies dying, and espionage acts all along the way.
For 50+ years we've been "containing" North Korea. We waited for the death of the previous leader, only to get his son, who is an even worse leader. Each day along the DMZ there are gunshots. Each day there are spying attempts. It's a war with no press covereage.
So here we were, bobbing in the waters of the Persian (or Arab?) Gulf, and camped in the sands of BFE (er, Saudi Arabia). The "stragegy" is that we "contain" Saddam until somehow he's dead. OF course, at that point, he has two crazed sons, and they might live for another 60+ years.
In other words, we're in Iraq because the alternative was another 50-year containment siege, like we did in Europe, like we've done in Korea. Only this time, instead of fighting little wars like VietNam, or checking Sandinistas, we'll be dodging 777s and wondering about every container ship in the Long Beach harbor.
I'd also wonder about the death totals for the USSR.
However, like the correction concerning the declaration of war with Germany, it's not critical to the arguments.
Original and dead on descriptiion of our choices! Good work TW! Ping
I would only add....Seattle harbor. It's my harbor although I worry about Long Beach and all the others!
It seems at times like nothing can be done to wake people up.
My biggest fear is that we might be forced to stand back and let our enemy advance in order to gather support who don't believe the threat we face.
Vietnam wasnt a very effective "containment seige"
as I remember we left it for the viet-cong to overrun!
Im still not convinced that the soviets have been contained they are still servicing and changing fuel in their ICBMS which they still have targeted on North America. The soviets
are doing missle deals with Assad, Iran, and the usual suspects I think your "containment seige" is just wishful
thinking. The soviets and chicoms have been arming these idiot arabs for years and continue to do so!The chicoms are buying oilfields in South America and Canada. Asserting
that nutjob arabs who have no navy no long range air force no ICBMS w/multiple warheads are a threat, but the commies
who do have these things are no longer a threat doesnt make
any sense.
Wow! good job!
Most excellent article!
That's not quite true, Canada was already involved in the war overseas 3 years before Americans joined in, and produced their own weapons, including lancaster bombers and other aircraft for the RAF and RCAF. In 1939, the USA didn't have as much as one good tank. It was in the years following that the USA had the biggest military and industrial build up in the history of the world, and has never looked back since. Canada, at the onset of ww2 before USA involvement, actually had a bigger millitary than the USA, and was 3 largest in the world. It's a shame what has become of Canada now; a result of too many liberal governments. Any 3rd world dictator has a bigger military than Canada and could no doubt kick it's butt.
"France was not an ally, for the Vichy government of France aligned with its German occupiers."
Any doubts that history is not on a continual loop? Only the names change.
Good article, something you can expand on.
The Islamic "Jihad" has been a war which has gone on for the most part of the last 1400 years. Because of the lack of history being taught, and much of it being re-written, American students, Europeon students, just don't learn it.
Spain for example, has only struggled out from the yoke of Islamic occupation in the last 200 years. Now, they are again in danger of falling back into it. The Islamic Jihad has even came out and reminded Spain of their intent to reclaim Spain, (Once Islam, forever Islam). The Muhammadan crusades are never mentioned, and the Christian Crusades, and reason for them are wrongly taught. They were DEFENSIVE, sent to reclaim the holy lands, which were mostly Christian and Jewish before the blood cult of Muhammad swept through. The Christian crusades were largely a failure, but they did stop the Muhammadans, and created western Society. If not for Gengis Kahn routing the Muhammadans, no doubt they would have entered Western Europe through Germany. The world would be a much different place had that happened, Columbus would not have existed.
India has been fighting a 1200 year war against the Muhammadan crusaders, and lost over time over 100 million or more lives. These wars continue off and on, much like we see in North Africa, the steady genocide at the hands of Islamic Jihad when they gain strength. It's how Islam spreads, by the blood and sword, slavery, forced conversion, dhimmitude or death.
Islam survives by ignorance and poverty,and brutality, tools used to keep it's subjects faithful and believing.
If those under Islamic control had the freedom to educate themselves, learn what Islam is before being brainwashed by it, Islam would collapse. This is why Islamic Jihad is on the move in this century, they are in danger because of the information age, no longer can it hide behind the "peacefull religion" cloak, it's "scripture" cannot withstand scrutiny, and it's real meaning and pupose is easily revealed to those who look closely.
This war on terrorism is far more important than most people think, future freedom and democracy depend on it.
Trash is popular...
BTTT
Bingo!
Thanks.
Great piece.
A Keeper.
Thank you.
Nothing like revisionism. The Germans failed to defeat the RAF in the Battle of Britain. They could not have invaded the UK without the defeat of UK air power. Goering failed because of the integrated air defence system that the UK had established. Everything from the Royal Observer Corps to the use of the RADAR chain the Luftwaffe could not crack. Please explain how the Germans could send their invasion troop barges across the English Channel without achieving air superiority?
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.