World War II

Sad Anniversary: FDR Executive Order 9066, The Internment Of Japanese Americans In World War II! :(

Ronald Leave a comment

Today is the 69th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, requiring the internment of about 110,000 Japanese Americans, just two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, simply because they were seen as a security risk to the nation due to their ethnicity and possible loyalties to their nation of origin.

This happened despite the fact that most of these people had been born in America, while others had become citizens or were applying for it, but simply their face and appearance was enough to put them into internment camps behind barbed wire and under military guard until early in 1945, they were ordered released, without any recompense for three lost years in what was basically a prison due to their national origins, not anything they did to deserve incarceration! 🙁

An all Japanese American military unit in Europe won more honors and recognition than any other unit in World War II, while their families were being mistreated in this terrible manner!

Only in 1988, the American government and President Ronald Reagan apologized formally for the forced internment, and arranged for the 50,000 survivors a lump sum payment of $20,000.

This horrible event ended just a day after the Supreme Court ruled that their internment was justifiable in war time, in the case of Korematsu V. US on December 16, 1944. The next day, the order went out to release them on January 2, 1945, even with the war not over, and many months left until the US utilized the atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war in August 1945.

The memory of this injustice and violation of civil liberties should not be forgotten at a time when we have so many Islamic haters who wish to deny all Muslims in this country what all American are entitled to–basic freedoms, without any denial unless it can be proved that they are, as individuals, involved in terrorist or other criminal activity.

The Bill of Rights must be preserved, or our democracy is a mockery!

Economic And Political “Pearl Harbor” For Progressive Cause: The Surrender Of Barack Obama! :(

Ronald Leave a comment

Today, December 7, marks the 69th Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, forcing this nation into World War II!

Today also marks the first day waking up and realizing that Barack Obama has surrendered to the Republican Party and the conservative movement by his so called “compromise” to prevent a rise in taxes on the middle class and to allow unemployment compensation extension for 13 months!

Obama came into office declaring no more tax cuts for the super wealthy, but now he has caved in, sadly, and will likely see many progressives and liberals abandon him, perceiving him as weak, ineffective, wimpy, lacking “cajones”! 🙁

There was no easy answer, of course, and one must realize that the nation overwhelmingly repudiated the Democrats in the midterm congressional elections!

But the hope and promise of the Obama Presidency seems to have been spent, and he seems unlikely to accomplish much more in the next two years! 🙁

Meanwhile, another estimated $900 billion will be added to the national debt, only worsening the long range prognosis for this nation’s economy! 🙁

We are rapidly moving toward the possibility of economic bankruptcy, but the super wealthy will not be harmed by it, only the middle and lower classes! 🙁

The country is being “raped” by the upper class elite, and the danger is that when the middle and lower classes finally “get it”, there could be bloodshed and violence as a result, and the nation could rapidly decline as a super power and defender of freedom around the world! 🙁

So this is a moment to mourn, not only for the losses at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but for our long term losses economically and socially in future years, because of what the voters in November stupidly did, and the “surrender” by President Obama last evening! 🙁

Will “Permanent War” Lead To Decline Of America As A Superpower? :(

Ronald Leave a comment

A retired colonel in the US Army, Andrew Bacevich, has written an important book about perpetual war, which makes one realize that such a situation, as we have now in Afghanistan, and with continued involvement in Iraq, and now possibly a war in Korea renewed, is a tragic situation which will lead to the downfall of the United States as a superpower! 🙁

Bacevich, a former West Point instructor, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a professor of international relations at Boston University, has published a book about the Vietnam War and the opposition, at the time, of Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman.

Bacevich utilizes this book on Fulbright to point out that we now have a situation that is being made permanent with the unwillingness of President Barack Obama to decide to withdraw from a war in Afghanistan which cannot be won, is bleeding our economy, and preventing us from dealing with the domestic crisis we face as a nation since the collapse of Wall Street in 2008! 🙁

Pointing out that we spend $700 billion per year on defense, more than all of the other nations of the world combined, Bacevich warns that we are going down the road of disaster, and that Obama is caving in to the defense establishment by continuing the involvement in Afghanistan at a time when many NATO nations are cutting back, and others, such as Great Britain, are making clear their limits on future commitment!

Bacevich asserts that we need to rebuild our own society, and that we cannot afford the financial cost for “permanent” war, and have limits on troops available for constant warfare! We cannot be global policemen, and occupy dozens of countries with our military so many years after World War II and Korea! Bacevich concludes that the Founding Fathers would be shocked to see us as much involved overseas as we are now in the 21st century! 🙁

Of course, others come out in support of what our government is doing, and call Bacevich an old style isolationist, but when one realizes that a great portion of our national debt has been for war and defense, and that we are hemorrhaging so much funding for the military at a time of desperation at home, Bacevich just seems to make a lot of sense, and causes one to have to sit and reflect on his message in a serious manner! 🙁

America At The End Of World War II And Today–65 Years Later!

Ronald 3 Comments

World War II ended on this day, September 2, 1945–65 years ago!

America was at its peak of power and on its way to its greatest prosperity, after having suffered through the Great Depression!

Now, America is in the midst of the Great Recession, the greatest economic collapse since the 1930s, and it is challenged by other nations, and has participated in wars it has not been able to win!

The country is bitterly divided as to what its role in the world should be, and how it should deal with its numerous domestic problems!

There is no sense of unity or purpose, and the future is cloudy as to the power, role, and significance of the United States!

This is a time to reflect on the events of 65 years ago, and for Americans to consider how to continue to promote a future America with a sense of pride and hope, the prevalent mood back in 1945!

It is time to stop fighting and to unite behind the concept of joint goals, no matter what political persuasion, what ethnicity, what race, what religion, what part of the nation one lives in!

We all have a responsibility to leave this country better that what it is today for our children and grandchildren!

Germany 1945 And Germany 2010: 65 Years After VE Day! What A Difference!

Ronald Leave a comment

65 years ago today was VE Day, as the remnants of Nazi Germany surrendered, ending World War II in Europe!

Germany lay in ruins, and was then divided by the Allies, into what became a 45 period of division, between Communist East Germany (controlled by the Soviet Union), and the Federal Republic of West Germany (controlled by troops of the United States, Great Britain, France).

East Germany was a totalitarian Communist dictatorship which languished economically, while West Germany flourished as a successful democracy.

The Berlin Wall was built by the Russians in 1961, dividing that city physically from then to 1989. When the Wall fell, the Soviets had already determined to withdraw from Eastern Europe and East Germany, and within a year, not only was the Cold War ended, but the two German nations became united as one, finally, after 45 years of division.

Now Germany, a very successful democracy, is also the economic powerhouse of Europe, and is engaged in the bailing out of Greece, and likely in the future, of other European countries in economic crisis, including Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain!

Who would have ever imagined that the nation that had spawned the worst war in history would, two thirds of a century later, be the savior of nations?

An amazing turn of circumstances, which no one could ever have imagined! 🙂

Obama And Symbolic Anniversaries Of World War II And The Berlin Wall

Ronald Leave a comment

President Barack Obama is obviously a busy man, and cannot be everywhere commemorating symbolic historical anniversaries, but still there are regrettable mistakes made on priorities.

First, Obama was not available to commemorate the 70th anniversary of World War II’s beginning on September 1, 1939. Obama was represented instead by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in a European gathering to honor the sad anniversary.

Now, Obama will be unavailable to attend ceremonies commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which obviously is a strong symbol of the long struggle against Communism during the Cold War. He will be represented instead by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Of course, there is nothing horrible about our Defense Secretary and Secretary of State being present for the symbolic anniversaries, as both are highly respected. But there is a sense of regret, that somehow the President could not have rearranged his schedule to include direct involvement in these significant anniversaries.