Anniversary of the second biggest mistake in history

In a comment down below, my 'Chief Archivist' (aka: JK) reminds us that today is the anniversary of the second biggest mistake in history, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.  The first, of course, was the German attack on Russia.  It is a sort of comfort to know that despite the blundering stupidity of our own politicians, we can rely on even greater stupidity from our enemies.  The critical operational mistake by the Japanese, although the importance of it was not revealed until later, was the fact that they missed the American carriers which were still at sea.  Of course, they succeeded in turning several battleships into scrap metal but, as it turned out, battleships were past their operational 'sell by date' and it was aircraft carriers that were the truly strategic weapon of the era.

Also, as Andrew B. Wilson reminds us in an article at The American Spectator, the Japanese attack tripped the trigger for a truly astonishing revolution in the American economy:

[T]hey underestimated the extraordinary ability of American industry to convert to high-speed, high-quality military production. In the words of the historian Victor Davis Hanson, “After Pearl Harbor, the United States went into a rearmament frenzy the likes of which had never been seen in history. America produced more airplanes and ships than all other World War II powers combined.” [My emphasis]

They certainly did that, God bless their Yankee-doodle socks, and there-after it was game over even if the Japanese needed a couple of A-bombs to clinch the argument!  Perhaps we should pause for a moment on this traumatic date and spare a thought for the 2,403 American servicemen who perished in the attack.

ADDITIONAL:  I never stop learning thanks to this wonderful 'internet-thingie'.  Thus, no sooner did I publish the post above than, courtesy of The National Review, I came across the late, and very great, Democratic congressman from Georgia, Carl Vinson- and, no, I had never heard of him either!  However, according to the NR, this country bumpkin congressman from Georgia - hardly a place constantly buffeted by salt air from the sea! - spent nearly ten years before WWII constantly agitating various American governments to build a two-ocean navy larger than all the major navies of the world combined.  His campaign succeeded just enough against monumental indifference to provide the USA with the basics before the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbour. There seem to be a plethora of empty statue plinths in America these days, given the ravages of the juvenile Left, so perhaps one of them can be used to house a statue of this man.

 

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

I just returned from the gym where we have a mix of old codgers---I resemble that mark---and healthy young ladies. The awareness of Dec. 7, 1941 broke along age lines perfectly.

Pearl Harbor was a hell of a way to end a Great Depression. We were a united people. We were not a united people on Sept. 11, 2001. Even less today. This is due to the successes of the "juvenile Left". The Navy honored Mr. Vinson.

[Cuffleyburgers]

Country bumpkins eh?

Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em...

[JK]

"Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em..."

As you say Cuffers:

http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/duff_nonsense/2011/12/courage-of-a-different-order.html

https://audioboom.com/posts/6212540-the-conquering-tide-war-in-the-pacific-islands-1942-1944-war-in-the-pacific-islands-1942-1944-by-ian-w-toll-part-1-of-6

https://audioboom.com/posts/6215993-the-conquering-tide-war-in-the-pacific-islands-1942-1944-war-in-the-pacific-islands-1942-1944-by-ian-w-toll-part-2-of-6

Hail Australia's Coast-Watchers!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea

[Loz]

Extraordinary.

They've described the logically intractable problem of NI borders with ROI and UK vs UK leaving single market, agreed it is an intractable problem, and called this agreement an agreement!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/08/brexit-deal-theresa-may-expected-meet-donald-tusk-two-sides/

Seems like all the finance industry (or any other) has to do is move an office to NI, hire one paddy from ROI, and access to the single market is guaranteed.

So Blighty is leaving the EU overtly but staying in the EU covertly.

THAT'LL DO VERY NICELY THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Read paragraphs 49 & 50 of the "agreement" for the nub of it. And if you can't be bothered to read 'em, just observe that Nigel Farage hates it.

Jimmy Glesga was right. God bless the Proddies!

A little bit of me has a twinge of feeling sorry for you Brexiteers and country-bumpkins. But when I remember the grief you put my Fluffbun through, that quickly disappears.

C'mon Gaffer, get your sorry arse outta your pit, put a post up and make this the first comment.

SoD

[Loz]

Also, and this is a big also, so much so that it really shouldn't be an also, but rather a thing of its own: -

Has Blighty found it's remarkable leader? ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/08/theresa-mays-brexit-deal-will-dumbfound-critics-resilient-bargained/

Courage, stamina, smartness. Makes mistakes, but recovers from them.

The Lady's not for turning - she's still a Remainer!

But she sucker-punched us all, especially the Brexiteers and cunt-bumps: Brexit means Brexit, hahaha!. They're still blithering around scratching their heads wondering what just happened.

She drip fed all the bad news to the Brexiteers so none of it would be too much in one hit to trip the rebellion wire, First £20bn, long pause, grumble grumble. Second, a bit of ECJ, long pause, grumble grumble. Third, £39bn, long pause, grumble grumble. Fourth, no border but leaving customs union and both in and out of single market, too confusing for Brexit peanut brains to comprehend and too worn down to resist anyway. She has avoided battle and won by outmarching her enemies.

That's why she stretched it out for so long. If she'd laid all those cards on the table at once she'd have been toast.

That is a strategic genius as work. With balls.

By George and all the Saints. I think dear old Blighty has found its winner. And she's drawn Excalibur from the stone.

What will she do next?

Bloody hell, this is defo better than Game of Thrones..

SoD