Remembering Pearl Harbor and Its Lessons

Your overworked Peasant apologizes for not getting this
post put up for you on the day, but am grateful for being
able to seize the time to share this with you, my dear
readers, on this, the day after. I am referring to the
75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,
which brought our country into the Second World War.

When this territorial target was hit (Hawaii was still a
territory at that time) Americans were enraged and wanted
to defend themselves, not wanting to wait to see if Japan
would attack any of the then 48 states on the mainland.
Congress declared war on Japan the next day, America
quickly mobilized, and we joined the then two year old
fray which was enveloping the world. The outcome showed
Japan, their axis chums, and all the world that the United
States was not a nation to be trifled with, not to be disrespected,
not to be bullied, and certainly not to be attacked.

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked again, this time
in two of our states and in our nation's capital city, and by
a stealthy band of low-rent thugs from the Middle East.
We went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, been over there
for over a decade, had some successes in both countries,
then ... didn't follow up and follow through. We still have
some major (and more than a few minor) radical Muslim
groups at large over there and in other countries in the
greater region; some radical Islamists in our country have
struck against Americans in San Bernardino, Fort Hood,
and Columbus, with one attempt at terror thwarted in your
favorite Peasant's hometown of Milwaukee. We have a
national media which has downplayed 9/11 and the smaller
subsequent terror strikes, and has tried to play up President
Obama's weak responses to the latter, and has even refused
to call these incidents what they are: acts of terror, adhering
to some politically correct code so as to "not be offensive"
and to be more "sensitive"(!?). Meanwhile, our friends
are wondering what's up with us and our enemies are falling
down laughing at us; maybe we can hope that they'll
pop a few ribs and rupture some internal organs?

Well, now we have a president-elect waiting to be inaugurated
in about six weeks who has pledged to reverse this sad and
tragic backtracking from our commitment and responsibility
to protect our country and our allies from this radical scourge.
Donald Trump will respond and act more like 1941 than
2009-today, and has already gotten some cheers from our
beleaguered and frustrated military, eagerly awaiting a new
commander-in-chief who will allow them to do their jobs,
to do the work that they signed up to do, and to demonstrate
support and encouragement rather than disdain and contempt
for these brave and patriotic fellow Americans. And once in
office, our new president and CIC will do what the soon-to-be-
leaving president failed to do --- follow up and follow through!
Our WWII veterans understood that there is no substitute for
victory and fought their war accordingly. It will be refreshing
to have a president who shares this understanding.


MEM