12-12-2006, 02:51 PM
You know, today I read about Pearl Harbor. It was a very tragic event for the US, but looking from Japan's point of view, I can really see why they would want to do that. The World War II was affecting them greatly, to the point that they were cut off from trade. After years of patient waiting, settlement was constantly delayed, so they decided to fight their way out of their predicament. Why they decided to carry the thing so far, I don't know--a bad part on their side. It could have been that defeating the offending countries would be assurance that Japan wouldn't fall into such a predicament again. I also don't know whether or not they simply tried to communicate with the countries affecting them. I should hope they did, but if not, another bad part on their side.
If they did indeed do their part in letting people know what trouble their government and economy was in, then I could see what drove them to attack the Allied forces. However, I truly wish something different could have been done. The Japanese army had been defeated by Britain once, but after signing a peace treaty were instructed in the ways of the British army--an army that had very great skill and strength. Combining that with their samurai and martial skill made them deadly. But even before that, Japan's army was strong, known for fighting to the death for their country--surrender was a disgrace.
Heh, sorry for the history lesson. It's just a shame how textbooks put the US point of view and ONLY the US point of view (a lot of them anyway). I love my country, but in all fairness, there is a lot more to it than "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor."
If they did indeed do their part in letting people know what trouble their government and economy was in, then I could see what drove them to attack the Allied forces. However, I truly wish something different could have been done. The Japanese army had been defeated by Britain once, but after signing a peace treaty were instructed in the ways of the British army--an army that had very great skill and strength. Combining that with their samurai and martial skill made them deadly. But even before that, Japan's army was strong, known for fighting to the death for their country--surrender was a disgrace.
Heh, sorry for the history lesson. It's just a shame how textbooks put the US point of view and ONLY the US point of view (a lot of them anyway). I love my country, but in all fairness, there is a lot more to it than "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor."