Today is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. It was a terrible day for the USA. We lost over 2000 people in just a few hours. Until 9-11, it was the deadliest attack in American history. It strange that for both 9-11 and Pearl Harbor, the victims had no idea that an attack was coming. America was at peace. Sure, there were threats, but no one expected what was coming.
The real point of Pearl Harbor is not the terrible loss of life or the actions of the Japanese at the time, though. It is the response of America to that event. It galvanized the American people who had previously been completely divided about getting involved once again in a World War. After Pearl Harbor, there were few who disagreed about the proper response. The USA was at war, and it did what was necessary to win. In many ways, the original response to 9-11 was much the same. America may talk a lot and it may dither about what to do. When attacked, however, the USA does not lose time responding appropriately.
The real point of Pearl Harbor is not the terrible loss of life or the actions of the Japanese at the time, though. It is the response of America to that event. It galvanized the American people who had previously been completely divided about getting involved once again in a World War. After Pearl Harbor, there were few who disagreed about the proper response. The USA was at war, and it did what was necessary to win. In many ways, the original response to 9-11 was much the same. America may talk a lot and it may dither about what to do. When attacked, however, the USA does not lose time responding appropriately.
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