What happened on this day in U.S. history reflects a much larger global pattern. One that still affects millions today.
Remember that the US didn't initially declare war on Japan nor Germany — they both declared war on us.
This was following the deaths of millions of innocent people under the horrors of the Nazi regime.
Yes, we later fired back an instrumental blow by storming Normandy.
But this was after Russia bore the heavier load of defending against Operation Barbarossa, which crippled the German army and starved their remaining fronts. It paved the way for us to celebrate our "victory". I'm NOT a fan of Russia but I give credit where credit is due. They bore the brunt of fighting with far less support than their sacrifice deserved.
Just as countless other nations and human beings faced atrocities alone, we stayed complacent and denied knowledge of the industrialized genocides that were occurring, and continued our trade deals with murderers.
We cannot take credit for D-day. It was not an act of righteous retribution; it was a decision we only made once there was no avoiding it.
And the biggest form of tragedy that today, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour represents, is our predisposition to nonintervention until the tables turn on us and threaten our interests.
This pattern isn't isolated to the 1940's. It reflects a larger American posture toward crises abroad. There are many historical and contemporary examples. Ones that may never turn around to threaten us, but which we nonetheless watch unfold with indifference while blood stains the face of the Earth.
THAT is what our attention should be drawn to. Not our heroic nature, which frankly isn't all that heroic — but our contentment with worldwide suffering and death and our eagerness to take credit once the suffering finally ends.
This was following the deaths of millions of innocent people under the horrors of the Nazi regime.
Yes, we later fired back an instrumental blow by storming Normandy.
But this was after Russia bore the heavier load of defending against Operation Barbarossa, which crippled the German army and starved their remaining fronts. It paved the way for us to celebrate our "victory". I'm NOT a fan of Russia but I give credit where credit is due. They bore the brunt of fighting with far less support than their sacrifice deserved.
Just as countless other nations and human beings faced atrocities alone, we stayed complacent and denied knowledge of the industrialized genocides that were occurring, and continued our trade deals with murderers.
We cannot take credit for D-day. It was not an act of righteous retribution; it was a decision we only made once there was no avoiding it.
And the biggest form of tragedy that today, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour represents, is our predisposition to nonintervention until the tables turn on us and threaten our interests.
This pattern isn't isolated to the 1940's. It reflects a larger American posture toward crises abroad. There are many historical and contemporary examples. Ones that may never turn around to threaten us, but which we nonetheless watch unfold with indifference while blood stains the face of the Earth.
THAT is what our attention should be drawn to. Not our heroic nature, which frankly isn't all that heroic — but our contentment with worldwide suffering and death and our eagerness to take credit once the suffering finally ends.
