Curiously, influential leaders BEFORE Versailles Conference even met were developing secret rearmament with Soviets
- early goals: destroy Polish independence and make room for millions of German farmers in the East
- independent of the Nazi’s later plan, harking back to 19thC nationalism
- First, Germany WAS humiliated after WWI and assigned an unequal share of the blame
- It got off better than the other empires that were destroyed
- Bounced back until Great Depression; the real cause of Hitler’s ability to be APPOINTED into power
About 27 million dead Soviet Citizens. My most treasured advisor during grad school was a Russian expert, so I am biased
- I am aware of opinions from some scholars that the horrific damage during the “Great Patriotic War” was the major cause of USSR’s eventual collapse
Stalin was a monster; he was also a workaholic and about many things, a genius
- not sure if Soviets could have been prepared industrially or socially for defeating Hitler without his leadership
- that is a minority opinion BTW
- You have valid concern; a vote in an underpopulated state is much more powerful than a populous state
- The Constitution was designed that way; at a time when local rule was more important in most circumstances than the Federal Government
- The House of Representatives can balance that!
Thanks! Blocked
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
“Past administrations had been war-gaming an Iran invasion for decades; with Trump in the White House..the collapse of an interagency process in the government and his erratic decision-making process made this unlike any other US military campaign in recent memory
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
“Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.. Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane”
So, please tell me, what is it you propose that I had posted, that you believe is factually incorrect?
Any “historian” who claims FDR had knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor is on thin ice
“Most Americans preference for isolation” sounds pretty close.
- So my Graduate School History training and eight years of teaching are too little?
- Also 22 years of experience in the real Navy, where pilots get killed for academics and politicians bad decisions has a sobering effect on teaching
US wanted France out of Vietnam after WWII; for geopolitical reasons that were partly positive and also good for the USA’s desire to support Japan increasing trade with SE Asia
* France wanted US support for their colonies as a price of promoting NATO
Look elsewhere, if you are seeking someone to support DRONE STRIKES
- Reminds me of the horrific events of the Vietnam War: especially for the Vietnamese; but also for my class at the Naval Academy that suffered the most dead graduates of any; same with West Point Class of 1966
Have you been to Israel? It is far from perfect, but Arab CITIZENS thrive there
- How about other countries in the Middle East?
- Name any one of the self-declared “Islamic” nations that is a functioning democracy
- What OTHER country in ME gets the journalistic scrutiny that Israel does?
I once did a presentation to local High School kids who were aggressively shopped by military recruiters:
- Listed 37 “Military Interventions” from 1898
- When the subject comes up in my history courses, some well-educated ADULTS are incredulous at the reality
* “War is a Racket” General Butler
We performed this song in a music group:
Oh the bankers and the diplomats are going in the army..
Their paunches at attention and their striped pants at ease
They've gotten patriotic..
So we'll just keep the laddies here to manage while they're gone..
* Malvina Reynolds - “We Hate to See them Go”
Right on PEACE!
-The ruling class (esp bankers and industrialists) put in place several anti-war measures they saw as benefitting their profits and quieting voters
-Aggressively sold loans and reduced reparations from Germany but demanded repayment of Allied loans
-Interfered in Latin America
- The Marine Unit deploys aboard an amphibious assault ship, somewhat similar to an aircraft carrier and is actually larger than any of the 24 Essex-Class carriers that were the mainstay in WWII
- Having flown off of this assault ship’s predecessor, this seems to be a serious potential escalation
- Isolationism after 1931 applied ONLY to:
*Neutrality Policy
*Cautious cooperation with League of Nations
*1933 London Economic Conference negates Gold Standard
- USA aggressive in Latin America
- USA’s Cotton Exports actively supported Japan’s commercial growth as World’s leading textiles exporter
- Actually America was not isolationist after WWI through 1931, when we ignored any serious pushback about Japan seizing Manchuria
- Future President Hoover aided earthquake and famine victims and lead an aggressive commercial expansion overseas
- USA the major overseas lender, esp Germany & Japan
- The senior JAG Officers and others who have in the past, attempted to provide serious and experienced oversight of military targeting were mostly eliminated early in this current Federal Administration
- The cowards are not the men and women of the US Military. As the founders of this great, though flawed nation wisely said, in a Democracy, the military cannot itself be democratic
- Blame when appropriate, goes to the democratically elected civilian leaders
Is USA Insulated from Oil Shortages?
1) We import huge amounts of oil, as US Refineries are largely configured to use heavy, sour crude that comes from overseas
2) 40% of US GDP is dependent upon oil; more dependent than other modern economies
3) Alternative Energy solutions used by OTHER countries
1947- Arab states refuse the UN-sanction partition that left the new state to be called Israel, with a small, hard to defend portion
- Arab States invade, bringing a 50 to 1 advantage against Israel
- Israel has nuclear weapons
- Despite many shortcomings, only REAL Democracy in Middle East
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
“While British leaders passionately debated their strategy in Mesopotamia, they fundamentally neglected the real economic and technological challenges that they faced..the U.S. was quietly building the most advanced industrial economy the world had ever seen.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
“Why would Trump launch a foreign war when he is so domestically weak? Precisely because he is weak..foreign military action is one of the few actions he is still able to take. He is a failing president with little room to maneuver..and unable to effect his will”
- Any questions about this topic, I will do my best to answer
- At the Naval Academy I studied under two professors who literally “wrote the books” on The War in the Pacific
- But, persistent rumors resulted in my further study of both the long rivalry and cooperation between Japan and America
- The Battle Plan against Pearl Harbor was developed and executed in the utmost secrecy. Phony claims that their fleet was detected enroute have been demolished
- Hawaii newspaper headlines the week before PH Attack proclaimed War Likely with Japan
- US Military alerted; expected at SE Asia, not PH
- USA had broken Japan DIPLOMATIC Code well before Pearl Harbor attack but not their Naval Code
- Established doctrine for decades by Japan (who revered US Admiral Mahan) was to lure US Fleet close to Japan, where a fresh, massive force would deliver the (Mahan-inspired) fatal blow
- US Diplomats informed FDR that Imperial Navy was loath to support Japan Army in its drive to takeover SE Asia, so US attempted to dissuade Japan from a war that FDR and his top leaders did NOT want
- Japan had 1 1/2 to 2 years supply of oil for their China War when USA stopped trading
