If Pearl Harbor Happened Today (CNN Version)

Jimbo

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,641
0
76
American Warships Sink in Hawaii
by Alex Ragen

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (CNN)?December 7, 1941?U.S. Navy officials reported earlier today that a number of its warships in the American colony of Pearl Harbor were suddenly discovered sinking. Unnamed sources blamed the incident on a nearby training exercise conducted by the Japanese Air Force.

In Tokyo, Japanese officials acknowledged some civilian fishing boats in the area, but denied any unusual activity. They repeated their commitment to the peace process and said that any violence was the direct result of continued American aggression. They emphasized that only peaceful negotiations based on a U.S. acceptance of Japan's leading role in Asia could reduce tensions between the countries.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, leader of the hard-line Democratic Party, accused the Japanese Air Force of a deliberate "sneak attack" on the American fleet. Thousands of American sailors had been killed on what he provocatively called "a day that will live in infamy."

There was no independent confirmation of the president's figures, which respected Japanese sources say are greatly exaggerated. Sources in Prime Minister Tojo's office have hinted that the sinking of the American warships was self-inflicted sabotage intended to put the Japanese government in an unfavorable light.

The belligerent tone of the right-wing American President's remarks leads many Japanese to consider him a war criminal.

The Pacific region has been a flash point since U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's "opening" of Japan in 1853, which many Japanese still consider to a defilement of Japanese soil by a "red-haired barbarian."

The United States has, since its unilateral annexation of Hawaii in 1898, built hundreds of illegal settlements on the islands, in the process displacing and killing the indigenous peoples.

A number of American groups protesting the U.S. government's policies, including the German-American Bund and the Silver Shirts, called for a "days of rage" protest in Washington.
 

Nefrodite

Banned
Feb 15, 2001
7,931
0
0
yup thats it.

i'm still seething from the stupid things the palestinian students at berkeley were saying and doing. on the day of holocaust rememberence they choose to compare their "occupation" to the holocaust? only shows their lack of rational thought. one girl was ranting about how she has no choice but to live in america...canned rant blah blah occupation blah blah:p i was like wtf... they marched around with the star of david beside a swatztika of course, and ignored the problem of suicide bombers.. stupid fundamentalists.
 

BaliBabyDoc

Lifer
Jan 20, 2001
10,737
0
0
The United States has, since its unilateral annexation of Hawaii in 1898, built hundreds of illegal settlements on the islands, in the process displacing and killing the indigenous peoples.

Basically, true. Not a parody. Granted the indigenous people were already outnumbered by immigrants from China and Japan; the good ol' USA put a stop to that.

The Queen speaks her peace . . .

Not our finest hour . . . whatever happened to a string of beads and some whisky?

Grover Cleveland and the truth
I believe that a candid and thorough examination of the facts will force the conviction that the provisional government owes its existence to an armed invasion by the United States.

By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown. A substantial wrong has thus been done which a due regard for our national character as well as the rights of the injured people requires we should endeavor to repair. The provisional government has not assumed a republican or other constitutional form, but has remained a mere executive council or oligarchy, set up without the assent of the people. It has not sought to find a permanent basis of popular support and has given no evidence of an intention to do so. Indeed, the representatives of that government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.


Definitely partisan but also accurate
Blount concluded, after a lengthy investigation, that Stevens conspired in the overthrow of the monarchy, which would not have taken place without the help of the troops. He recommended restoring Queen Liliuokalani, as he could find no Hawaiians desiring annexation. Cleveland, speaking through the new American minister, Albert Willis, asked that Dole restore Liliuokalani. Dole refused and declared himself president of the Republic of Hawaii, seeing no chance of annexation at the time.

Unfortunately, Cleveland's successor was not as idealistic. In March 1897, William McKinley took office and submitted a treaty for annexation the following year. The expansionist Congress did not hesitate in passing the measure and on July 7, 1898, Hawaiian sovereignty officially transferred to the government of the United States. The treaty was simple: All debts would be transferred to the US, Chinese immigration would stop and the President of the US would appoint five commissioners to govern the islands as they saw fit.


 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< yup thats it.

i'm still seething from the stupid things the palestinian students at berkeley were saying and doing. on the day of holocaust rememberence they choose to compare their "occupation" to the holocaust? only shows their lack of rational thought. one girl was ranting about how she has no choice but to live in america...canned rant blah blah occupation blah blah:p i was like wtf... they marched around with the star of david beside a swatztika of course, and ignored the problem of suicide bombers.. stupid fundamentalists.
>>


Yikes! Really?

Glad I was stuck inside studying for a midterm :)
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0


<< A number of American groups protesting the U.S. government's policies, including the German-American Bund and the Silver Shirts, called for a "days of rage" protest in Washington. >>



This is the part that bugs me. If you feel you have the right to complain about the US government, you aren't German-American, you're American. If you insist on maintaining the title of German (or any other landmass for that matter) move back to that area. I'm sick of all of those Asian-Americans and African-Americans. If you live here and are a US citizen, you're American.
 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<<

<< A number of American groups protesting the U.S. government's policies, including the German-American Bund and the Silver Shirts, called for a "days of rage" protest in Washington. >>



This is the part that bugs me. If you feel you have the right to complain about the US government, you aren't German-American, you're American. If you insist on maintaining the title of German (or any other landmass for that matter) move back to that area. I'm sick of all of those Asian-Americans and African-Americans. If you live here and are a US citizen, you're American.
>>


Woah, there's no reason to get rid of it but I'm all for putting the American first...i.e. American Asian or American African...

There's no decision I make regarding politics where my Filipino blood overrides my American birth.
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0
Actually, to be quite honest, it's the Asian-Americans and the African-Americans that really get me. First off, you rarely hear people of European or even Middle-Eastern descent refer to themselves as (insert country here)-American. Now, if you're from Asia and Africa, no offense, but it's pretty obvious. I don't need people telling me that.

Now, back to the original subject. I think that's quite interesting to look back at. It's horrible to see what a terrible place the world was back then. Everybody lying and killing. I think it's very disappointing and definitely not a good show of what we humans are capable of.

edit: I should mention that my first paragraph isn't aimed at anybody in particular.
 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< Actually, to be quite honest, it's the Asian-Americans and the African-Americans that really get me. First off, you rarely hear people of European or even Middle-Eastern descent refer to themselves as (insert country here)-American. >>


Yeah...the Middle Eastern one's always bugged me. I've got plenty of friends with roots in the area and they always refer to themselves as Persian, Arab (or their country of origin i.e. Lebanese, Egyptian)...never w/the "-American" tacked on
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0


<< Yeah...the Middle Eastern one's always bugged me. I've got plenty of friends with roots in the area and they always refer to themselves as Persian, Arab (or their country of origin i.e. Lebanese, Egyptian)...never w/the "-American" tacked on >>



Good point. My limited contact with people from that area of the world is only while I'm at school and I don't converse with them all that often. Remembering my favorite Lebanese (Klinger - M*A*S*H), that's right.
 

Freejack2

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2000
7,751
8
91
Erm the problem is the Japanese declared war on us. The only reason we didn't get notified earlier was some problem in translating the declaration and getting it there in time.
Based on that the Japanese wouldn't have "denied an unusual activity"... :p
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0


<< Erm the problem is the Japanese declared war on us. The only reason we didn't get notified earlier was some problem in translating the declaration and getting it there in time.
Based on that the Japanese wouldn't have "denied an unusual activity"... :p
>>



I was under the impression that the mistranslation came later; when the Japanese surrendered. You may very well be right as I am relying on my often faulty memory. :) Can you confirm this?
 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< Erm the problem is the Japanese declared war on us. The only reason we didn't get notified earlier was some problem in translating the declaration and getting it there in time.
Based on that the Japanese wouldn't have "denied an unusual activity"... :p
>>


Maybe they would have claimed that the guys that bombed Pearl Harbor were extremists who the main gov't have no control over.

A little OT but the best movie about the bombing is still Tora! Tora! Tora!


<< I was under the impression that the mistranslation came later; when the Japanese surrendered. You may very well be right as I am relying on my often faulty memory. Can you confirm this? >>


I'll confirm it :)