OT - Newt Gingrich Praises Japanese for Brilliance on Dec. 7 1941

[kgwillison]

My father was serving on the USS Case, a destroyer class ship, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when Oahu was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. He was proud to have fought in that battle and was active most of his life in the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association which focused on making sure we remembered that day.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the attack.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took to Twitter to praise the brilliance of the Japanese who attacked America! I am beyond angry. And I am mystified, bewildered, amazed. Did I say angry?

Here's a link: http://bit.ly/2gozhwH

 

[chassc]

Obviously terrible timing. 12/7 is not about the Japanese.
It should be noted the NG is a military history enthusiast. But this wasn't the time for those comments.

 

[Trading Tiger]

My father was serving on the USS Case, a destroyer class ship, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when Oahu was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. He was proud to have fought in that battle and was active most of his life in the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association which focused on making sure we remembered that day.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the attack.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took to Twitter to praise the brilliance of the Japanese who attacked America! I am beyond angry. And I am mystified, bewildered, amazed. Did I say angry?

Here's a link: http://bit.ly/2gozhwH

Would you rather him say that a bunch of retards kicked our ass? Therefore, making us even bigger retards??

Gingrich spoke the truth, and I have no problem with it. My Grandfather was also in the Navy, albeit post-Pearl Harbor. Sounds to me like you're just looking to be offended.

 

[Cavitybacks]

Mt grandfather was shot down by the Japanese in the Pacific.

Newt was hardly praising them. Just saying to be alert because evil exists. At least that's how I took it.

 

[Ron Munson]

Would you rather him say that a bunch of retards kicked our ass? Therefore, making us even bigger retards??

Gingrich spoke the truth, and I have no problem with it. My Grandfather was also in the Navy, albeit post-Pearl Harbor. Sounds to me like you're just looking to be offended.

This. absolutely nothing to get offended about. Newt probably knows more about the Pearl Harbor attack than anyone else alive.

 

[kgwillison]

Would you rather him say that a bunch of retards kicked our ass? Therefore, making us even bigger retards??

Gingrich spoke the truth, and I have no problem with it. My Grandfather was also in the Navy, albeit post-Pearl Harbor. Sounds to me like you're just looking to be offended.

No, by this reasoning, I will expect Newt to praise the brilliance of Al Queda come Sept. 11, 2017.

I don't go around on Dec. 7 each year looking to be offended. And I clearly am not the only person taken aback by Newt's comments. Look at his Twitter feed. Honestly, when I read it I figured he had been hacked.

 

[bflow22]

Brilliant military attack? Perhaps. Was it smart to carry out the attack? No. It was a horrendous decision in the long term that ended up with devastating consequences to Japan and cost both sides large amounts of casualties. They picked a fight with that attack and effectively gave us a nice sucker punch. So while it may have been a very strategic militaristic plan in that moment, the outcome would suggest it was one of the most idiotic things Japan has ever done.

 

[jerveymead]

People get easily offended these days. Sounded more like a call for America to keep vigilant by using an example from history

 

[Loudmouth99]

My father was serving on the USS Case, a destroyer class ship, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when Oahu was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. He was proud to have fought in that battle and was active most of his life in the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association which focused on making sure we remembered that day.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the attack.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took to Twitter to praise the brilliance of the Japanese who attacked America! I am beyond angry. And I am mystified, bewildered, amazed. Did I say angry?

Here's a link: http://bit.ly/2gozhwH

Eh, I think you are overreacting. Gingrich didn't "praise" the Japanese; he made a simple statement of fact about that day--that the Japanese executed a brilliant surprise attack--which anybody (military or civilian) would be hard-pressed to disagree with, and the simple statement of fact was used to back up Gingrich's main point in his first tweet: "December 7 is a good day to remember that the world is dangerous and shattering surprise is possible even when we have been warned."

 

[Cavitybacks]

No, by this reasoning, I will expect Newt to praise the brilliance of Al Queda come Sept. 11, 2017.

I don't go around on Dec. 7 each year looking to be offended. And I clearly am not the only person taken aback by Newt's comments. Look at his Twitter feed. Honestly, when I read it I figured he had been hacked.

Most likely democrats. I'm not sure you're political beliefs but Newt is polarizing and not liked by those on the left.

If Hillary made a similar comment, those on the right would criticize.

 

[StSimonsIslandTiger]

Geez. NG does not "praise" the attack. He acknowleges the brilliant execution of it which was in fact amazing. He does not praise the motive behind the attacks.

 

[BHSRebels89]

Maybe bad timing but you have to acknowledge the brilliance of that and also what happened on 9/11. I hope no one is offended by those comments. Just saying that strategy-wise and results were over the top for both.

 

[toolucky52384]

Newt is a history professor who has written a series of books on WW2, i think he is showing admiration for an adversary not praise for their action.

 

[BAnksMcFadden]

Brilliant military attack? Perhaps. Was it smart to carry out the attack? No. It was a horrendous decision in the long term that ended up with devastating consequences to Japan and cost both sides large amounts of casualties. They picked a fight with that attack and effectively gave us a nice sucker punch. So while it may have been a very strategic militaristic plan in that moment, the outcome would suggest it was one of the most idiotic things Japan has ever done.

You just countered one short sighted take with another. Ill give you that Japan would have been in the war longer had the us not entered then, but at some point the US was entering the fight and their empire would have receded.

But further down the road, I doubt that we invad and occupy Japan if not for pearl Harbor. Subsequently we would not have had a solid base for the Korean war. Then there is a much higher chance japan ends up communist. Even though they defeated the Russians in the 1890, they would not have been able to repeat that fluke win.

Otherwise the American occupation, which means so much to the Japanese economy today, wouldn't have happened. Plus colonialism was already 30 years outdated. Japan was shooting themselves in the foot by conquering Oceania and China and Se Asia , which gave brief militaristic advantages but no significant end game.

 

[NavyTigerSC]

1. It's in incredibly poor taste to classify an unprovoked offensive that resulted in the death of nearly 2,000 non-combatants as "brilliant".

2. It wasn't brilliant. They didn't get any of the Carriers because they had mediocre intel and made a conscious decision to focus on battleships, thinking there would be some massive sea battle in the vein of some modern day Horatio Nelson, they invoked relatively few casualties considering what was possible, and they missed the vast majority of the supply depots and repair facilities. Aside from Arizona and Utah, the vast majority of the ships in PACCOM were operational within 3 years.

Nagumo was a brilliant man. They executed well, but their plan and motivation was inherently flawed.

 

[utgolfer]

Did you get this hot take from Daily Kos OP?

 

[gogetem]

He's right, and it's ok to acknowledge it.

Japanese success at Pearl Harbor is too often attributed to American mistakes. For some reason we never want to give credit to the Japanese for their planning, skill, and execution. They recognized challenges (shallowness of the harbor, refueling at sea, need for secrecy, coordination of multiple platforms) and developed solutions that work.

Some times you just gotta tip your hat to the other guy.

 

[NorthStateTiger]

This is a great example of team sports politics. Pretty much everyone defending it would be calling for anyone on the left's head if they had said it.

 

[PAWrocka]

.... eh .... the only word there that irks me a little is "professional". It wasnt "professional", it was a "cowardly" attack. If he had said a "brilliant strategic" attack, that wouldve been more accurate.

 

[Overwatch]

Hillary voter.... Do you need a safe space?

 

[Orange-Addict]

Brilliant military attack? Perhaps. Was it smart to carry out the attack? No. It was a horrendous decision in the long term that ended up with devastating consequences to Japan and cost both sides large amounts of casualties. They picked a fight with that attack and effectively gave us a nice sucker punch. So while it may have been a very strategic militaristic plan in that moment, the outcome would suggest it was one of the most idiotic things Japan has ever done.

Yamamoto, who designed and carried out the attack, told his superiors that long term it was a bad move. He said they would awaken a sleeping giant.

 

[ddot7]

Obviously terrible timing. 12/7 is not about the Japanese.
It should be noted the NG is a military history enthusiast. But this wasn't the time for those comments.

Mt grandfather was shot down by the Japanese in the Pacific.

Newt was hardly praising them. Just saying to be alert because evil exists. At least that's how I took it.

People get easily offended these days. Sounded more like a call for America to keep vigilant by using an example from history

Eh, I think you are overreacting. Gingrich didn't "praise" the Japanese; he made a simple statement of fact about that day--that the Japanese executed a brilliant surprise attack--which anybody (military or civilian) would be hard-pressed to disagree with, and the simple statement of fact was used to back up Gingrich's main point in his first tweet: "December 7 is a good day to remember that the world is dangerous and shattering surprise is possible even when we have been warned."

Geez. NG does not "praise" the attack. He acknowleges the brilliant execution of it which was in fact amazing. He does not praise the motive behind the attacks.

Maybe bad timing but you have to acknowledge the brilliance of that and also what happened on 9/11. I hope no one is offended by those comments. Just saying that strategy-wise and results were over the top for both.

Newt is a history professor who has written a series of books on WW2, i think he is showing admiration for an adversary not praise for their action.

He's right, and it's ok to acknowledge it.

Japanese success at Pearl Harbor is too often attributed to American mistakes. For some reason we never want to give credit to the Japanese for their planning, skill, and execution. They recognized challenges (shallowness of the harbor, refueling at sea, need for secrecy, coordination of multiple platforms) and developed solutions that work.

Some times you just gotta tip your hat to the other guy.

Be honest for a minute. If those were President Obama's tweets, what would your response be?

 

[chassc]

Be honest for a minute. If those were President Obama's tweets, what would your response be?

I get your point, but the POTUS is in a different position. Any president who said that would rightfully be criticized. Trump's dumb ass gets called out daily for his tweets. Rightfully so.

 

[TigerPrice03]

From a tactical stand point it was a brilliant move. From a strategic stand point it was their and Germany's downfall. They woke the sleeping giant that they should have left to slumber.

Of course their reasoning was that the US was going to eventually enter the war anyway. So they had to try to deliver a crippling first strike to knock us out. It didn't work.

 

[gogetem]

Be honest for a minute. If those were President Obama's tweets, what would your response be?

Obama wouldn't have said that exactly. He'd have added a comment like: "we have to try to understand and reconcile the attack by Japan in light of centuries of European colonialist aggression in the Pacific."

 

[toolucky52384]

Be honest for a minute. If those were President Obama's tweets, what would your response be?

ha, i'm one of the moderately pro obama guys on the board, and obama is not a history professor.

 

[appalachiatiger]

subjectivity versus ovjectivity case study i see.....hmmmmm

 

[Cavitybacks]

Be honest for a minute. If those were President Obama's tweets, what would your response be?

That's my point. The left doesn't like Newt. The right doesn't like Obama. A moderate would not be offended.

 

[kgwillison]

That's my point. The left doesn't like Newt. The right doesn't like Obama. A moderate would not be offended.

It isn't Newt's politics that angered me. Sitting on my desk at home is a foam Capitol signed on its bottom to me by "your friend, Newt." Honestly.

As others have said, had President Obama yesterday said on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that the Japanese invasion was brilliant, people of all political stripes would have been angered. Just terrible timing to tweet such a thing.

 

[SDTiger9]

Geez. NG does not "praise" the attack. He acknowleges the brilliant execution of it which was in fact amazing. He does not praise the motive behind the attacks.

Glad someone said this. I'm so tired of people looking at a situation that's rooted in emotional tragedy and not take some positive and applauding efforts to learn from. Oh it's too close. In fact I got slammed for it regarding cancer a month ago.

No different than Hilter being a master marketer. Brilliant. His use case? Awful, disgusting,he's a deplorable human but it doesn't mean we can't learn something positive from it. In fact, you are naive not to do so.......... interesting..... we just had a master marketer win an election.

 

[appalachiatiger]

it was a brilliant move.

maybe we should have supplied them the oil.

things would be drastically different.

wonder why we chose to break that promise?