The United States as a Democratic Republic

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Purgatory-Z

Originally posted by: tcsenter

FDR knew well in advance that we needed to get involved, but the American people refused to let him. That is why it doesn't bother me that FDR might have let Pearl Harbor happen. The 2,200 deaths might well be worth it in the long run.

Oh brother!

The fact that the Japanese would attempt an attack on our soil would have been enough to convince a good many Americans that the barbarians, previously so easy to ignore due to our great distance from Europe, were now at our gates. FDR wouldn't have needed to 'let' the Japanese attack be successful. Interdicting the Japanese attack 20 or 30 miles out in the Pacific would have sufficed to sway public opinion.

Please, enough with the conspiracy theories already.

American soil could be defined as the soil within the 50 states (not counting the soil within an embassy). Using that definition, the Japanese never did attack our soil, as Hawii wasn't a state when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

This is me getting technical about a mute point, but hey, why not...

Cheers,
Purg-Z

edit...my bad, I have never used moot in type before. Always have said it the correct way though. Give me a break, I wasn't a big english guy in school =)

a giant US naval installlation at a US territory would count as american soil. if someone went and attacked puerto rico we'd go and defend, would we not?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: JellyBaby

It makes perfect sense to have people who work full-time in the field of government determine its policies, since theoretically they should be most qualified to make those tough choices.

I disagree. I don't believe in pure-bred elected government officials. These creatures exist to benefit themselves and advance they and their friend's agendas often at our expense. They're disconnected with the private experience of the typical American. I would say they're generally the least qualified to make the tough choices. I'd rather see well educated, caring private citizens go into public service for a short time then exit the scene before they become corrupt.

the problem with that is the people that are "well-educated" on most of the things they are voting on are going to be company higher-ups from the industries that are affected by legislation. so you've got industry insiders creating legislation that probably benefits themselves.

 

[JellyBaby]

They enter politics now for all the wrong reasons: power, prestigate and wealth. That's why I won't vote for career politicos and favor term limits for all of them.

ElFenix, community and business leaders have always tended to serve and that's fine by me. They know what a budget is, what limited scope means and how to get things done efficiently.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Grasshopper27

Exactly...

FDR knew well in advance that we needed to get involved, but the American people refused to let him.

That is why it doesn't bother me that FDR might have let Pearl Harbor happen. The 2,200 deaths might well be worth it in the long run.
: ) Hopper[/quote]


Even in 1939 the average Joe was starting to realize that war was coming to America. Before that, we were selling raw materials to Japan. Our policy was that we would not sell to nations at war. Japan never officially declared war on China or Manchuria. They were just "defending their honor that was tarnished when $15 worth of railroad ties were destroyed".

Polls taken after 1939 showed that people were ready for it, and that they knew what was up with Japan, at least partly. Once France fell, I think that most people knew what was going on. Instability in the world is a bad thing, even for an isolationist nation.

 

[HombrePequeno]

Originally posted by: Grasshopper27
Here is the main point.

Why didn't we invade Afghanistan and get Bin Laden after the 2000 Cole attack? Why not after the 1998 bombings in Africa against our Embasies? Why not after the 1996 Kobar towers attack?

Why did we wait until the 2001 attacks to get him? Simple, we didn't have enough of a reason before then. Blowing up a US military ship, a few embasies, or a military baracks is not enough to justify invasion of another country.

: ) Hopper

I believe we lobbed a few missiles at where we thought he was a few times. Obviously he wasn't at the places we bombed. Honestly I think we should have raised hell for what he did before 9-11 but Clinton didn't seem to think so.

 

[Purgatory-Z]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Purgatory-Z

Originally posted by: tcsenter

FDR knew well in advance that we needed to get involved, but the American people refused to let him. That is why it doesn't bother me that FDR might have let Pearl Harbor happen. The 2,200 deaths might well be worth it in the long run.

Oh brother!

The fact that the Japanese would attempt an attack on our soil would have been enough to convince a good many Americans that the barbarians, previously so easy to ignore due to our great distance from Europe, were now at our gates. FDR wouldn't have needed to 'let' the Japanese attack be successful. Interdicting the Japanese attack 20 or 30 miles out in the Pacific would have sufficed to sway public opinion.

Please, enough with the conspiracy theories already.

American soil could be defined as the soil within the 50 states (not counting the soil within an embassy). Using that definition, the Japanese never did attack our soil, as Hawii wasn't a state when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

This is me getting technical about a mute point, but hey, why not...

Cheers,
Purg-Z

edit...my bad, I have never used moot in type before. Always have said it the correct way though. Give me a break, I wasn't a big english guy in school =)

a giant US naval installlation at a US territory would count as american soil. if someone went and attacked puerto rico we'd go and defend, would we not?

Just because we would defend it, and just because we have a large naval installation present, doesn't make it American soil (or homeland, if you will) by my definition above. I agree though, we would defend it just like it was one of our states...