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How 10th anniv of 9/11 compares to 10th Pearl Harbor anniv

12 Comments
By Audrey McAvoy

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American servicemen from the fill in the blank seeking respite at Japanese baths attended to by "plump Japanese girls in pale blue play skirts."

Still have those today.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I read John Dower's "Cultures of War." Even an MIT professor couldn't really make an effective comparison between the two events. They were two generations removed, and the world was a much more difficult place in 1941 and 2001. Trying to compare 9/11 and Pearl Harbor really invites a round hole/square peg analogy.

I suppose the biggest difference in my mind is that Al Qaeda did declare war on the US before the fact, whereas Japan did not. So a better analogy to 9/11 might be Leonard Wibberley's novel "The Mouse That Roared." The Dutchy of Grand Fenwick also declared war before sending its 20 longbowmen -- led by Peter Sellers in the film -- across the Atlantic in a tugboat to invade NY City.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What a ridiculous comparison. The author is grasping at straws.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Smith, as far as a straight logical analysis goes, aside from the unexpectedness, yes, the comparison is ridiculous. But from an emotional perspective (and most people are chiefly emotiona it seems, egads) you have a historical defining moment coupled with a sense of being wronged, anger and loss on top of the unexpectedness, so by the emotional measure, they are much the same.

I will take the straight logical comparison though. I have no use for people's emotions on a macro scale.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Communist ,Nazi, Imperial Japanese and now Islamic Totalitarianism .

America, the land of the free, will always have enemies.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Lieberman buddy, a couple words missing from your last line. Should read: America, the land of the free, will always have the enemies it needs and helps create. There, much better. Smith is right. The comparison is silly.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

America, the land of the free, will always have enemies.

And the Pentagon and CIA will make darn sure of that!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Maybe the US needs some terrorist threat every decade or so. I've always wondered what would happen to the US if they pulled out of all the wars they are currently engaged in and got rid of the entire military as it is. What impact would it have on the economy, how many business that build weapons and goods that assist wars would go under, what would all the ex-military personnel do? What % of the actual US GDP relies on wars and needs an enemy at bay? After all war is big big business....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Virtuoso i suggest you read that book again. The comparisons he was making were 1, the targeting of civilians ie sept/11 and Hiroshima, and 2, unforseen consequences of badly thought out actions ie Pearl Harbour and the invasion of Iraq

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Never forget, always remember, and learn. Otherwise it will happen again and again. To quickly we Americans forget what has happened to us and why the world is what it is.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

9/11 is actions from CIA and FBI for antidemocratic laws in USA and agressive to the World. Hitler had fire Reichstags too.

Pearl Harbor that is snare for Japan. But why Japan hadn't occupation of Pearl Harbor? That is very strange!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

To compare an attack by uniformed military personnel on a military target to an attack by terrorist criminals on innocent civilians using civilian aircraft is almost an affront to anyone in any armed services of any country anywhere.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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