Pearl Harbor Day
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-12-07/pearl-harbor-day
In 1941 residents of the Hawaiian islands were used to the sounds of military maneuvers. Oahu, the most-populated island, was home to many American military bases. Drills were commonplace. But on the morning of Sunday the seventh, a radio host broke into a regularly scheduled program of church music. He announced shocking news: "This is no maneuver. Japanese forces are attacking the island. This is the real McCoy!" Today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The authors of two new books explore the events of that day and how they forever changed our nation - and the world.
Guests
Ian Toll
former Wall Street analyst, Federal Reserve financial analyst, political aide and speechwriter; he the author of a previous book on naval history, "Six Frigates."
Steven Gillon
history professor and author of numerous books, including "The Kennedy Assassination - 24 Hours"; resident historian for The History Channel.
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Program Highlights
Seventy years ago, the Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Nearly 2,400 Americans were killed and more than a 1,000 wounded. Soon after, President Franklin Roosevelt declared December 7th a date which would live in infamy. The attacked pulled the U.S. into World War II and put to test Roosevelt's character and judgment.
Americans Bitterly Divided Over War
At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, most Americans supported Roosevelt's policy of providing munitions and material support to the allies. But right up until the attack, the country was bitterly divided over actually entering the war. That changed overnight after the Japanese attack.
Roosevelt's Decisions
Roosevelt once described himself as a juggler. "He never let his left hand know what his right hand was doing," Gillon said. By the time the war in Europe broke out, Roosevelt realized the U.S. had a vested interest there and that he needed to do everything he could to support the war. But he also watched the polls closely, and he was aware that large numbers of Americans opposed the war - which is one reason why he had not committed troops there before Pearl Harbor.
How Much of a Surprise was the Pearl Harbor Attack?
Although the U.S. had already broken the Japanese diplomatic codes, and Roosevelt knew from the messages they intercepted between Tokyo and the Japanese ambassador in Washington that Japan was ready to strike somewhere, the target of Pearl Harbor was apparently a complete surprise.
Roosevelt's greatest fear at the time, according to Gillon, was that the Japanese would bypass American installations in the Pacific, attack British and Dutch installations, and force Churchill to send resources and soldiers away from the Atlantic and into the Pacific. But an attack on American soil seemed unthinkable.
Pearl Harbor "Defining Moment of 20th Century"
The attack on Pearl Harbor was tactically brilliant, but Gillon said he looks at it as "strategically perhaps the biggest military blunder of the 20th century." Japan underestimated America's ability to do what President Roosevelt had said the nation would do, which was become the arsenal democracy, Gillon said. It also ended the myth of American isolationism and the idea that the U.S. was protected by the oceans on either side of it.
You can read the full transcript here.
Comments
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Our wealthy class needed WWII. Business was transformed into a command economy mobilized for war production, with guaranteed profits for the wealthiest class. This was the same financial class that had admired and bankrolled Nazism. Some ran corporations serving both Axis and Allies throughout the hostilities. No one was concerned about the enormous federal debt being run up.
Rhetorically it is claimed the US economy is in a similar trans-Pacific competition now with China as with Japan in the 1930s. The East was far away then but Japan was no match for the USA, before or during the war. Japan was used to soften up the Pacific rim for US neo-colonialism. FDR had nearly been deposed in a planned military coup. He had to compromise with the Elite in all he accomplished. It is not surprising he failed to act upon advance notice of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Right now I'm wondering if our oligarchs think we need yet another such incident to maintain their hegemony. Since Chinese industry is partially owned and operated by this same elite look out for another DIY.
Pancake,
You are very ignorant when it come to world and US history.
What about the claim that Roosevelt or someone else in his administration had made sure the aircraft carriers were not in Pearl Harbor on that day?
Another claim I have heard repeated is that he kept the Japanese diplomats waiting so that it would be seen as a complete sneak attack?
Both of these are supposed to be "evidence" that Roosevelt knew ahead of time about the attack.
Good point.......how is it the carriers happened to be at sea?
The carriers were ferrying planes west. Even the sailors were confused as to why at that time, but nothing has been found to indicate the Roosevelt adminstration ordered them gone. Read and read. There are a few new books out: my two--Pearl Harbor Countdown (Pelican) and Why Stay at Pearl? (Kindle); as well as books by Alan Zimm, Elliot Carlson and Steve Gillon. Plus, go back and read all the Prange books, works on Layton and even Stinnett's book. I don't think any of you will find a definitive fact to place the blame on FDR. Of course, the administration was very reckless in those last hours, the worst thing being that the note was sent by slow mail and arrived to Short at 3 p.m....a bit late!
Early in the show one of the guests mentioned that Walt Disney was a prominent isolationist (before Pearl Harbor). Does anyone have any references on this beyond his belonging to the America First Committee?
So in a repressed milieu the person in command of too many facts and concepts is called ignorant? Our schools don't teach but brainwash, and some conformists are like drowning roaches who will never see over the rim of our informational toilet. I'm glad our troops smashed the Tojos and the Hitlerites, but I'm sad our unification of corporate oligarchs with government has taken on so many traits of these fascist regimes. They ordered 9/11 like a bottomless shrimp platter, and if you don't know that ....
down the memory hole.