copyright © 2002 by Robert L. Blau
Can you explain this "first strike" doctrine to us?
Absolutely. We are confronting a very dangerous
and unpredictable enemy, one who has not dealt honorably with us in the past.
Recent events have demonstrated to us our vulnerability. Our nation
is already at war, and we need to take preemptive action to alleviate our
vulnerability. We must do this to protect our citizens.
But we are not at war with this country. They
say they are neutral.
So they say. And yet they support our
enemies, providing them with the means to make war on us.
Some say that they are depriving us of oil. Is
that a reason for attacking them?
That is a good point. It is
one way in which they show their support of our enemies and attempt to hamper
our just war.
But have you considered the consequences? You say
that they are a dangerous nation with weapons of mass destruction. Yet they
are not now using them against us. If we attack them first, isn't it
more likely that they will then use these terrible weapons against us?
The consequences of doing nothing are greater than
the consequences of taking action.
Won't the rest of the world brand us aggressors?
It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks.
We must protect our interests. Our true allies will stick with
us.
But shouldn't we exhaust all peaceful means before resorting
to war?
Peaceful means have failed. Tomorrow at dawn,
the Imperial Navy will strike Pearl Harbor.
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Japan and Nazi Germany were the masters of the "First Strike." In
the old days, we called that aggression, and we counted our nation righteous
and heroic for opposing it. Although the United States purported to
be neutral prior to 12/7/41, we were anything but. We supported China
militarily and financially against Japanese aggression. Our embargo
of oil and other strategic materials to Japan threatened to cripple their
war effort. They decided it was necessary to invade Southeast Asia to
seize the resources they needed, but they were vulnerable to the US fleet
in Hawaii, so that had to be neutralized first. Following Pearl Harbor,
the invasion of Southeast Asia was a rollicking success. Regime changes
were effected throughout the region. Anyone in the Japanese high command who
might have opposed the attack on Pearl Harbor must have felt like a fool in
1942. And the US military hardly bothered them again.