what the youth think happened on Dec. 7th.

[Footslogger]

My Aunt lived through those days and she said that the movie was right and that the people need to know what happened back then. What do I say to my nephews? or others? I think the youth will see this movie as factual. [&:]

[bradfordkay]

The best thing that you can do would be to invite your nephews to watch Tora, Tora, Tora with you. It doesn't stray much from the facts. 

[Cribtop]

Oh, and use Clockwork Orange style re-education programs to burn all memory of The Movie that Shall Not Be Named out of their minds of course. [:D]

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

The best thing that you can do would be to invite your nephews to watch Tora, Tora, Tora with you. It doesn't stray much from the facts. 

Oh, and use Clockwork Orange style re-education programs to burn all memory of The Movie that Shall Not Be Named out of their minds of course.

+1 [:D]

[Capt Hornblower]

Would you choose Pearl Harbor or nothing? I submit that Pearl Harbor is as good a starting point as any, and that if any interest at all is shown you by youngsters (or others) in the subject, you can then point them in a better direction.

[rjopel]

THAT movie was on TV tonight. BLECH.

[Lifer]

Flipping between Dogfights on History Intl and WWII in Color on the Military Channel.  USS Laffey and Kamikaze attacks on Dogfights and The Island War on WWII in Color

[noguaranteeofsanity]

ORIGINAL: Footslogger

My Aunt lived through those days and she said that the movie was right and that the people need to know what happened back then. What do I say to my nephews? or others? I think the youth will see this movie as factual. [&:]

What movie? You need to be specific, or we can only guess what movie you are talking about. Also I assume you are talking about December 7th, 1941 and the attack on Pearl Harbour?

When it comes to your younger relatives or others, you could easily buy them a book on the subject or direct them to wikipedia, otherwise a simple explanation that the Japanese attacked without warning, bringing America into the war would probably suffice, or they could always talk with your aunt. Although, unless they enjoy history, I doubt they are going to show much interest.

[Capt Hornblower]

You guys are way too hard on Pearl Harbor. Any movie with Kate Beckinsale in it can't be all bad! [;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Footslogger

I think the youth will see this movie as factual. [&:]

Warspite1

But that's the power of films and TV. Goebbels understood that. That Pearl Barbor %@+&, the total and utter bilge that was U-571, Braveheart, Titanic etc etc.

In the UK we do not teach proper history in schools and so (assuming kids even watch this stuff and unless they take the trouble to read books) they will come away with a naturally cock-eyed view of what happened.

[5thGuardsTankArmy]

ORIGINAL: Footslogger

My Aunt lived through those days and she said that the movie was right and that the people need to know what happened back then. What do I say to my nephews? or others? I think the youth will see this movie as factual. [&:]

Now that totally depend on in what nation the youth you are referring to is raised!

[CaptBeefheart]

According to this movie, the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

Cheers,
CC

[Itdepends]

ORIGINAL: noguaranteeofsanity
When it comes to your younger relatives or others, you could easily buy them a book on the subject or direct them to wikipedia, otherwise a simple explanation that the Japanese attacked without warning, bringing America into the war would probably suffice, or they could always talk with your aunt. Although, unless they enjoy history, I doubt they are going to show much interest.

Well they tried to declare war first but got their timing out. Didn't the USA only declare war on Iraq after the ground/air forces were already inbound?

[dorjun driver]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

The best thing that you can do would be to invite your nephews to watch Tora, Tora, Tora with you. It doesn't stray much from the facts. 

...invite your nephews to read Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision by Roberta Wohlstetter with you. It doesn't stray much from the facts.

/pet peeve

[mg62]

Ok, I have to mention this.  We are US ex-pats living in Toronto.  My son came home from school several years ago stating that his teacher said the Japanese attacked the US because the US had war plans (orange) against the Japanese.
 
I nearly blew a gasket.  I gave him a real understanding of history and gave him some questions for his teacher. 
 
In perspective the movie that shouldn't be named is better than the history lesson my son recieved at school that day.

[Shellshock]

ORIGINAL: mg62

Ok, I have to mention this.  We are US ex-pats living in Toronto.  My son came home from school several years ago stating that his teacher said the Japanese attacked the US because the US had war plans (orange) against the Japanese.

I nearly blew a gasket.  I gave him a real understanding of history and gave him some questions for his teacher. 

I recall similar bilge being spouted by a community college professer here in the States. That the cruel, racist US embargo was tantamount to a declaration of war, and that poor, tiny Japan backed into a corner had no choice but to strike first and ulitimately freed the suffering Asiatic masses from western imperialism.

Maybe that's why he was a community college prof. [:D]

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

ORIGINAL: noguaranteeofsanity
When it comes to your younger relatives or others, you could easily buy them a book on the subject or direct them to wikipedia, otherwise a simple explanation that the Japanese attacked without warning, bringing America into the war would probably suffice, or they could always talk with your aunt. Although, unless they enjoy history, I doubt they are going to show much interest.

Well they tried to declare war first but got their timing out. Didn't the USA only declare war on Iraq after the ground/air forces were already inbound?

The was no "declaration of war" in any US war since WW2.

The problem was NOT the lack of a declaration of war, the problem is what is called "negotiating in bad faith". Japan was having peace negotiations with the US at the time they struck, and the US was under the DIPLOMATIC (and public) impression that Japan wasn't about to attack.

In the case where countries normally go to war (with or without declaration), there is ample notice that a war will happen unless certain conditions are met (i.e., unless country A meets the demands of country B.) In the cases of the US going to war with Iraq, there was ample notice of what would happen ahead of time, not a sudden "sneak attack".

In the case of Pearl Harbor, if the Japanese HAD managed to deliver the declaration of war 1 hour prior to the attack (as they had planned), it still would have been deemed "perfidious" since the attack was actually under way (had been launched) "during a flag of truce" so to speak. In the case of the 2 Iraq wars, deadlines had been passed where the US had said "we can and will attack anytime after the deadline", after weeks of warning.

[noguaranteeofsanity]

ORIGINAL: Shellshock

ORIGINAL: mg62

Ok, I have to mention this.  We are US ex-pats living in Toronto.  My son came home from school several years ago stating that his teacher said the Japanese attacked the US because the US had war plans (orange) against the Japanese.

I nearly blew a gasket.  I gave him a real understanding of history and gave him some questions for his teacher. 

I recall similar bilge being spouted by a community college professer here in the States. That the cruel, racist US embargo was tantamount to a declaration of war, and that poor, tiny Japan backed into a corner had no choice but to strike first and ulitimately freed the suffering Asiatic masses from western imperialism.

Maybe that's why he was a community college prof. [:D]

Well that technically was the cause of the war, that isn't to say the US is to blame, but rather the Japanese decision to go to war was made because of the oil embargo. In a similar way, historians accept that the Versailles Treaty that ended World War One was also one of the causes of World War 2 and contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. Generally wars are fought for a reason, people or countries rarely fight each other for no reason at all.

[mike scholl 1]

ORIGINAL: Shellshock

ORIGINAL: mg62

Ok, I have to mention this.  We are US ex-pats living in Toronto.  My son came home from school several years ago stating that his teacher said the Japanese attacked the US because the US had war plans (orange) against the Japanese.

I nearly blew a gasket.  I gave him a real understanding of history and gave him some questions for his teacher. 

I recall similar bilge being spouted by a community college professer here in the States. That the cruel, racist US embargo was tantamount to a declaration of war, and that poor, tiny Japan backed into a corner had no choice but to strike first and ulitimately freed the suffering Asiatic masses from western imperialism.

Maybe that's why he was a community college prof. [:D]

This kind of "non-knowledge" makes it hard to have much sympathy for the "underpaid" Union Teachers raising He11 in Wisconsin. Especially those calling in "sick" and then parading around in the snow of February all day.

[Itdepends]

Ah well at least the Japanese did declare war then (tongue in cheek) to save their economy (get access to oil) while Iraq was only invaded to destroy those pesky WMD's...................

I find it interesting to note how it's ok if one country group does something but not ok if another does. For example- sending a naval battlegroup to SE Asia would be ok but Chinese forces patrolling off the USA coast would go down like a lead balloon (although if you watch Mythbusters- it is actually possible to get a lead balloon to be lighter than air).

Please don't take my comments as advocating or damning one countries action over another- reasons, circumstances and political realities were unique for each circumstance.