Days of Future Passed

On December 7th, 1941, the Nation of Japan unleashed a strategic, comprehensive series of attacks and invasions on territories of the United States of America.

The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered one of the landmark speeches of all time, securing from Congress a Declaration of War against the nation of Japan.

A speech of few words, but of incredible power, clarity and determination; his words rallied a shocked and angered nation.

Japan had awakened the sleeping giant from it's peaceful slumber to a roaring, raging and unstoppable fury.

What then might such a speech sound like in just over a year's time from now, given not by our current President, but by John F. Kerry before a joint session of Congress?

I admit, here I give Senatory Kerry absolutely no benefit of the doubt, and stipulate clearly that I exaggerate the response to the lowest possible expectation.

Perhaps I shouldn't have reviewd his Senatorial voting record regarding military and intellegence matters and progams before I wrote this. But then, it's exactly that record which is the inspiration.

With no futher ado, join me at the television while we watch and listen, a mere thirteen months from now.......

September 12, 2005

"Yesterday, February 20th, 2005 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked, allegedly by the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing the regretful but undeniable outcry of an oppresed people.

The United States was, and is at peace with the Nation of Iran, and at the solicitation of the William Jefferson Clinton, the Secretary General of the United Nations, was still in conversation with the UN Security Council and the Imams looking towards the maitnence of peace in the Middle East. Indeed, one hour after the Iranian expatriates detonated a nuclear device smuggled by shipping container into the port of Newport News, Virginia, the Iranian Ambassador to the UN delivered to the Secreatry of State, Jimmy Carter, a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing multi-lateral diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the method and means of transporting this weapon of mass-destruction makes it obvious that the crime was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. However, during the intervening time the Iranian Government has constantly sought to obtain diplomatic and economic concessions from the United states, expressing the hope that such would relax and calm the outrage felt by their people in response to the embargos and other sanctions which previous administrations had imposed.

The attack yesterday on an American Naval Base has caused severe damage to United States property. The lives of many children have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported to been sunk by suicide bombers on Zodiac boats in seaports in Yemen, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Yesterday, the Iranian Government also launched an attac against Quatar. Last night Iranian forces attacked Baghdad. Last night Iranian forces attacked the Suez Canal. Last night the Iranians attacked Turkey. This morning the Iranians attacked Israel.

Iran has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Mid-East and the East coast of America. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The Government of the United States has already formed it's opinion and well understands the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Cheif of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken to ensure a peaceable resolution to these tragic, ill-considered crimes. I will not allow the United States to be dragged into another quagmire like that in which I fought in Vietnam.

Always will we remember the sacrafice of those lost in this onslaught against us. And though we may never recover from this regrettable circumstance, the American people in their embrace of diversity will win in the moral victory of understanding and acceptance.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only secure peace in our time, but will make very certain that the perpetrators of these crimes will be swifty brought to justice before the International Court at The Hauge.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that the people of the world, and our shared interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our able negotiators - with the unbounded determination of our international investigators and prosecutors - we will gain the inevitable convictions.

I ask that the Congress delcare that since the undeniably oppressive nature of our embargos and sanctions can but further aggrieve the Government of Iran, that such restrictions be henceforth lifted in order to facilitate the negotiations of peace between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Contrast the above with the actual speech delivered by President Roosevelt:

December 8, 1941

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Pity, Franklin D. Roosevelt just didn't seem to grasp the nuance or the complexity of the issue. I wonder though, would he have voted for the Declaration of War, before he voted against it?

Comments

[Rivrdog]

Thank you very much for making me puke so early on a Sunday morning.

I think you have Kerry wrong. You attempted to inject his "nuances" into FDR's stirring speech, but in doing so, you gave Kerry too much credit. He wouldn't have thought of all those things himself, or with his speechwriters.

I think he would have said something like "how could they have done this to us? We treated them with respect and diversity.."

Fuck him and the horse he rode in on.

Bleeeeah!

BTW, upon the provocation of such an action of war, Bush would have simply called over the man with the football, spun up some Peacekeepers, and turned the Hell that is Iran into glass.

The question for all of us is: We all know it would happen if they got a nuke weapon. Why are we waiting for them to use one?

Our pre-emptive war doctrine should be based upon warring upon those nations most likely to war upon us. Placement on a pre-emption list could be debated by Congress, but the POTUS should always have the last option whether to act or not.

[Bob Baird]

Good stuff. Hopefully, we won't ever have a chance to hear anything even close to this in real life.

But just to be sure to cover all the bases, maybe I'll go build up my stock of 357 metallics.

You never know....

Bob

[Cracker]

Great writing,though if Kurry tried to do that i believe we would see the fastest impeachment in U.S. history.If not that then the begininings of armed rebellion.
I do have to admit a certin fear that Kurry will win and that one of his first programs will be for total gun control.
Keep up the good work.

[Guy S.]

What is sad is any democrat President prior to Jimmmah Carter, would have done the same as Bush. And the quick and speedy end to Iraz as we know it would be the result. I would further state any and all countries with any terrorist cells, staging areas, or training areas, would be on notice to either exterminate same ASAP or face the same fate as Iran. And the very real threat of internment camps for islamists in this country would more in likely be implamented.

Hey Jim wanna write a novel? *grin*

[Rivrdog]

Guy S. is on top of his shit, as usual. He has raised what I consider to be the only difficult concept in the war against Wahabbism: What do you do with all the Wahabbists who are already here?

There are two possibilities: Using some extraordinary powers that would be voted in after such a sneak attack, you throw out the Bill of Rights for everyone who doesn't swear a loyalty oath to the nation and it's Constitution, or...

You lock them all up in Internment Camps.

Now, I'm married to a fine woman who is the daughter of a Japanese-American couple who both had to spend the war in internment camps. The camps were austere, but easily survivable, according to them. What got to most internees was the fact that one moment they were useful, productive citizens of our Nation, and the next moment they were all scum, fit only to be locked up behind barbed wire with the US Army outside the wire. When they were finally released upon our victory over the Empire of Japan, they got none of their land, personal property or employment back. They all had to start over from scratch. The Internment program may have put a few dozen spies and saboteurs out of action, but it also put tens of thousands of our very best citizens behind bars.

We have two bad choices here, but there is a third choice that we haven't explored: public execution.

This nation has gone away from it. The whole purpose of execution is to end criminal careers and deter other criminals, and the deterrence works to varying degrees, but it works best if it is public. Ever since we started to protect our citizens from the horror of watching criminals die, we have lost most of the beneficial effect of execution.

If, after such a nuclear provocation, we were to encode proper behavior for citizens, and have the death penalty for certain improper behaviors, the effect would probably be salutary enough to deter most of the proscribed behaviors, but ONLY IF THE EXECUTIONS WERE SWIFT AND PUBLIC.

Somehow, we have to convince the Blue half of our citizens that this really would be good for them as a society, and that allowing lawyers to muck it up would be bad for them.

Martial Law might accomplish that or it might not.

[Sam]

Thanks man...great post!!!

[Valerie]

Jim,
Have read this post several times. For its quality, and its brilliance. I just pray it is not a glimpse into the future.

Riverdog,
A sad, and lamentable, blot in our history, the internment camps. I have wondered at the irony that it was the sons of those internees, serving in U.S. Army who liberated Dachau.

[Guy S.]

Riverdog,

You bring up a very valid point about interment camps. And I often wondered why once the treat (real or imagined) against Americans of Japanese origin were not allowed to go back to their homes and or business to start up where they had left off. Or given remunerations at that time (vice many years later).

And are you sure you haven't been communicating with my better half? Your solution is almost word for word what she has been saying for the past few months. I can only imagine what my pay per view bill would be at the end of any given month if they started having public executions. And televised live for those who could not get out to the viewing area. And why Pay per View? Because some of the revenue generated from that could be either used to cover the cost of said execution or given to the perps victims. Just a thought.