Monday, December 7, 2009

"History"












So today is December 7th. On this date in 1941 Imperial Japan attacked the United States, and we were cast into the sea of blood known as the Second World War.

The "Good War" they say.

Perhaps they should call it the "Necessary War". This because 'no' war can be good. Necessary because losing it would have handed the world, and history over to Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. Yes it was necessary.

It's the only war till 9/11 that I would have fought in. In both cases we were attacked by forces that wanted us all dead. In the case of 9/11 our government at the time took advantage of our patriotism, embroiled us into a war against a people that never hurt us.

History will have a time figuring the first decade of this awful century out. ...good luck to them. I haven't a clue as to what the hell is 'still' going on.

Well other than we elected some guy to end the war, and he won't or can't.

Anyway the war of our fathers, and uncles began today back there, and we honor them for saving history from the bad guys.

(Btw, click on the photos above. It really was just regular guys. Indeed our father's, and uncles. Nah there's no blacks or browns in the shot, but they was there too.)

Hold on let me find some pix's.

These are some colored G.I.'s in a mobile anti-aircraft battery in Italy. Mr. Jefferies across the street form us on my boyhood block in Brooklyn was in one of these outfits in the south pacific.












Below is one the black tank crews in Patton's armored division during the Battle of the Bulge. War is the worst thing our species does to each other, and the Earth. I do not mean to glorify it.

However sometimes in extreme historic circumstance. G-d forgive us,..it may be necessary.

15 comments:

John said...

Nobody commented ? How strange !

Good post, Sid.

Zaek said...

Give us time, John!

WWII is the war from which America emerged on top of the world, mainly by happenstance I'm told, and stayed there for a generation or two.

A night or two ago I was at a literary party where a young woman of 18 or 19 discussed her ambition to join the military. I wanted to scream at her "DON'T DO IT!" but I didn't have the nerve.

I don't know, but I suspect the present decade will be remembered as one in which the American empire had not yet awakened to its own imminent demise.

I'm full o' doom an' gloom these days. Shows how much I could use a beer.

John said...

Looks like you meant Give You time ?

Yes, I do share some of your concerns. But as I see it this hand just to have play it self out.

And I have a son who is serving.

I also think it`s not a good hand either just so were clear on that.
I would love to go here buts it`s not my blog !
Have one of those brews for me !

Lino In the "empire" said...

"I don't know, but I suspect the present decade will be remembered as one in which the American empire had not yet awakened to its own imminent demise."


Wishful "thinking" by foreigner.

Hitler-Tojo, Korea and Viet wars nor Stalin and decedents succeeded.

What pray tell, makes you think a bunch of filthy sand monkeys plotting mass murder in a cave will defeat America.

Sorry to disappoint you. Really.

Lino

Bodmin said...

Oh, I think that Obama and the left-overs from Clinton and Bush that he has taken on as his financial advisors will do just fine all by themselves, with no assistance from the towel heads.

Tojo, Hitler and Stalin did not have a 'mortgage' on America - nor did the Chicoms during Vietnam. The latter do now. Pulling the plug will hurt their economy as much as America's, so they won't do it? We'll have to see about that.

John said...

Sid, how come I`m unable to get a mail thru to you ?
Is it just me or have you blocked your self off from all of us other
wackos ? haha !

Zaek said...

It's ironic that whereas a few weeks ago I was attacked on BH as "one of those ignorant yanks whom all the world despises," now I'm a foreigner, my citizenship revoked. It seems super-patriots everywhere just can't handle criticism.

I'm mighty pissed at my homeland, but I never said I hoped the Taliban would defeat it. Talibanism is pure evil, and I'd love to see it overthrown in Afghanistan and elsewhere, though I see little hope of that.

America's on the way down because of policies that are destroying its economy. Radically overextended public and private debt, wars we can't afford, the government spending money it hasn't got and printing more: that's the main problem, not being militarily defeated by some ragtag guerrilla fighters half way around the planet. Though there's probably a reason why Afghanistan is known as "the graveyard of empires."

The United States has squandered its resources and overreached itself economically and militarily. We're in a position similar to that of the Soviet Union shortly before its collapse. That isn't by any wish or doing of mine, it's just the way things appear to me to be.

John said...

Hey Zaek I`m with you !
Don`t fret your not a lone or lost
your standing, with me anyway !

Lino in Manhattan said...

"Though there's probably a reason why Afghanistan is known as "the graveyard of empires." "

That's a flawed premise to base your argument on. America is not defending an "empire" in Afghanistan -nor Iraq. Most of the past "empires" that have run aground in places like Afg. have done so because they had an exploitative relationship with those colonies and much of the ruling country's wealth and prestige was derived from that relationship. When it collapsed it triggered a collapse that was both practical and figurative. America has no such interest in these mostly barren and backward nations..other then to prevent their becoming incubators for islamic terrorism.

"The United States has squandered its resources and overreached itself economically and militarily. We're in a position similar to that of the Soviet Union shortly before its collapse."

Not even close.
http://www.truthandpolitics.org/military-relative-size.php

Europe has -long- had a snarky attitude toward the "States" even after centuries of vicious wars have whittled their nations into secondary status (soon to be relegated to third rate behind China)-they still delight in mocking our country.

That's Ok, just don't think that we don't know the motivations for this...or that we care.


Lino

Zaek said...

Hi John. I hope your son stays safe and sound.

Lino, have a beer.

Zaek said...

Europe has -long- had a snarky attitude toward the "States" even after centuries of vicious wars have whittled their nations into secondary status...

I think that's true. In fact I suspect it's gotten worse since their own empires went kaput, and that there's consequently a certain amount of sour grapes on their part.

The blog format has cut your link short. If you could break it into a couple or three lines it'll probably get through.

Uncle Sydney 2012 said...

My email is still:

whitmanwalter@yahoo.com

I never use,..well not much, that dragonfly thing.

Uncle Sydney 2012 said...

John I didn't know you son was serving.

Bless him.

I hope he comes home as soon as possible.

Uncle Sydney 2012 said...

As for Obama, and company.

He's a failure, his Presidency is already over.

Yeah I am heart broken, and yeah I should'a known better.

Lino said...

I tried the link and it seemed to work on this end however if its not reading properly for you just use the root URL:

www.truthandpolitics.org/

..And scroll down to the hyperlink. There are a lot of interesting reports as well.


I don't know anything about this site but it seems to use authoritative sources.