Was U.S. involvement in WWII, "unjust" and "illegal"?

Question

We didn't go there to save the jews: 6 million were already dead; the French were getting along very well with the Nazis; Pearl Harbor happened after the US made Halliburton type deals with UK; there were almost no "allies" but the US; UK and Australia...10 million young americans were drafted and deployed. I DON'T GET IT.

I see that some of you don't misunderstood me. I just wanted to put some perspective on what's going on with the so called Iraq debate, when in WWII there was almost no debate and reporters even wore the uniform...

I see that some of you misunderstood the question. I just wanted to put some perspective on what's going on with the so called Iraq debate, when in WWII there was almost no debate and reporters even wore the uniform...

Answer 1

a democrat started it.... so no. it was just and legal

as for saving invaded countries, YOU people need to go back and read a little farther in history. europe, old europe, have been invading and killing each other almost as long as the middle east. england wasnt in danger of being invaded with the failure of the battle of britain and operation sea lion being cancelled. germany could have sued for peace in the quagmire that was the eastern front.

Answer 2

We didn't choose to go to war! The Japanese attacked us in Pearl harbor and the Philippines which we owned at the time. Thus we had to go to war with them. The Germans declared war on us not the other way around same with Italy this happened on DEC 11, 1941 4 days after Pearl Harbor. Thus we didn't start this war we only reacted to it. As for almost no allies You are dead wrong we had China/New zealand/Mexico/Brazil/Russia/Iceland/free French forces/Dutch/India/Several south american nations/Canada/ and British africa. These countries didn't get a lot of press but did there part however great or small they were with us. This is a far cry different from the Iraq mess. If you followed the WW2 precedent we would only be in Afghanistan where the attack on New York originated and where the attackers were protected by the Taliban govt. Bush on the other hand decided to attack Iraq for no good solid reason just some made up crap about WMD's that as we all know were not there.

Answer 3

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor Dec 7,1941. Although the Congress was isolationist at the time, this sparked our entry into the war....I suppose you can't go around letting others blow up your battleships and cruisers all over the place and do nothing. Since we were supporting the allies already on the side, we declared war on Germany which we should have done a couple of years sooner since we were "allies." Also, there is such a thing as "the right thing to do." I always love to hear the terms, "illegal war" thrown around by those that don't agree with it. Its a BS term because I don't know of any war that was stopped by anyone because the U.N. or anyone else thought it was "illegal." Lord knows the U.N. couldn't stop a cold if it tried. The really tough guys on the planet laugh at them. Like it or not, we are the toughest guys on the block and someone will always be taking shots at us. Unfortunately, in the world, might makes right.

Answer 4

Sir ... and I use the term very loosely ... I think the question should be rephrased to read, "Was the attack on Pearl Harbor unjust and illegal?"

We know the answer, but I have to wonder whether YOU do. No offense, but I gather you must be about 14 years old or younger, perhaps. I suggest you save your question and all the answers, put it in a time capsule, and open it up in about another 14 years. Take a look and see if you "get it," as you say, any better than you did today. Good luck, young man.

Answer 5

It was not unjust. We had to invade Germany and Japan in order to stop a force that was conquering the world. Also, even though Italy was not on our side, they quickly became an important part of helping the Americans get into Germany “or at least the Italian citizens did.” As for France, they were carying out guerilla war fare against the Nazi invasion. If they were not our allies, we would probobally not have won. The French supplied us with food, shelter, love and support.

P.S. We did not invade to save the jews. America had no idea about the slaughter of the jews and other races by the nazis until after we invaded.

Answer 6

My heavens, I never have been flashed, but I did unintentionally flash a few folks once. I was in the hospital some time back and decided to take a stoll to the vending area. Well, I wasn't thinking about what I was wearing and, let's just say that those hospital gowns don't leave a lot to the imagination on the backside. The nurse came up from behind me and put a blanket over my shoulders . . . I was wondering why it was a little drafty back there!

Answer 7

I really hope you are kidding and that this isn't an example of our current educational system.
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and simultaneously declared war on the US. The US declared war on Japan the next day. A couple days later Germany, who had a defense pact with Japan, declared war on the United States. The US in turn declared war on Germany. US shipping was constantly threatened by German U Boats. Unlike recent wars, the threat to the US was clear cut and undeniable. For example American ships were frequently fired upon and sunk by German U-Boats, a sight often visible from the east coast of the United States.
The war was absolutely legal and justified in the name of self defense.

Answer 8

You are forgetting the lessons of 12/7.

See the big difference there? We were attacked by a soveriegn nation's army, who then declared war on us. We didn't use Pearl Harbor as an excuse to invade Laos. We went to war with the actual perpetrators of the tragedy and we destroyed them.

Answer 9

The question is a facade. Bonneville is posing as someone critical of "Halliburton-type deals" while asking a ridiculous question in order to make it appear that critics of Halliburton's corruption really are that foolish. He also may be trying to suggest that people who say that the American invasion of Iraq was stupid and unjust would say the same thing about American involvement in World War 2. But U.S. involvement in that war was a response to an ongoing, all-out war in which U.S. allies were directly at risk.

As his other questions indicate, Bonneville is a conservative nut. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvJR7zp0YbygQZI0KJKq5Pnsy6IX?qid=20070205112609AAwBc0h

Answer 10

Our allies, France and England were attacked by a foreign power (Nazi Germany). Poland was invaded, the Danes and Swedes attacked. PART of the French government collaborated with the invaders. Our response to aid our allies was just and legal. Our response to being attacked at Pearl Harbor REGARDLESS of the financial provocation was just and legal.

What exactly don't you 'get'?