Quotes from my weekend

I love watching war documentaries and shows about battles and what have you. I prefer information on the First World War (personal preference), but Second World War stuff is always more available for obvious reasons (more journalists, cameras, American involvement, better story, etc.).

This weekend I watched a couple of American documentaries about allied bombing in WWII made in the 1960's. Aside from the usual bullshit about how America won the war and how much braver American pilots were for waging a daytime campaign, the host of the documentary said the following:

"Americans found British carpet bombing tactics barbaric."

Holy shit...

There are a few ways to go with this statement, aside from your feelings on carpet bombing. Because I was too angry I couldn't see anyway to go except on the offensive, so while trying to figure out how loud to yell and what to punch the documentary host said the following:

"American bombing in Japan was not designed to kill Japanese citizens, but to end their will to fight."

FFFUUUUCCCCKKKK! Well at least now I know which way to go on this. So who do I punch first?

Let's start clearly. The guy who made the film is probably dead (rot in hell). The US government had little to nothing to do with the film, and finally I point back to earlier statements. I do not hate the US, I hate its own atrifical image of itself. There is nothign wrong with Americans or the US, except for what we see on TV.

So what we know from Joe documentary is...

Using incendiary bombs in urban neighbourhoods that were KNOWN to be made up of primarily wood structures against an enemy that never actually attack you was NOT barbaric, but defending your homeland ALONE using every able bodied person in anything you could find that could fly was barbaric? I am sorry, but I don't get it. In a street fight, where it is you or them (remember all of Europe was gone and who was left?) ANYTHING FUCKING GOES.

What part of the United States was under attack by the Japanese during the Second World War?

And don't say fucking Hawaii. Japan took the bait on Hawaii and America got its war in Europe. Ever wonder about that one? How Japan and Germany were suddenly common enemies? Oh yeah, they had that one secret meeting. There is an Axis if I ever saw one.

Fuck the threat to shipping, the "bottom line" was under attack in Europe and America needed in. Enter Japan and a war against China that nobody gave two shits about for TEN FUCKING YEARS.

So for bombing a military installation on a plantation the Americans responded by doing what? Burning Japan and its citizens to the ground, well that certainly wasn't barbaric.

To me, all is fair in love and war. The worst thing you can do is tell people how many people are dying everyday. Tell me when it's over. If you want to win, kill them all, then kill the ones that look at you crooked and then get the fuck out of there. Don't rebuild, don't try and civilize. Terrorize and leave.

I say all of this so you know that when an American documentary takes credit for winning the Second World War, liberating the people, saving the world and so on, I get a little pissed.

BUT, when they say that British military tactics were cowardly and barbaric, I get more than a little angry.

Did they bomb cities, sure, but where were the factories? Did they miss? Yes, but accuracy was not exactly the strength of the WWII bomber. Numbers like 1 in 10 hit close to their target speak to the accuracy. Did they target cities? Sure they did, so what? It's called tit for tat, or for you religious fairies, an eye for an eye.

As for idea that the British Air force was cowardly, we now know that the air force and its pilots were stretch to the limits, so much so that it is widely believed they were days from collapse at points during the Battle for Britain. So flying at night to save lives and planes, I am going to say was a necessity, not cowardly.

But remember something huge here when we take about Britain and Germany and WWII.

Unlike WWI, Britain was not looking for a fight in 1939. Much to their detriment, they tried to avoid one. Our wonderful Russia allies were in fact in bed (not really, but on paper) with Hitler until 1942. France gave up without a fight and even Vichy France was in bed with Germany. The free part of France actually fought British efforts to take supplies and ships to help in the effort to repatriate France. Before they rolled over and died they tried to limit British bombing to make sure that the German's didn't bomb Paris, so they were a huge help. Our American friends were Neutral (so to speak) until Basically 1942, so for the first 3 years of the war, 3 out of 5 members of the future UN Security Council (the most powerful countries in the world) were useless (I know you American pigs gave us intelligence and hardware and money, blah, blah, blah, BUT remember you made a fortune on that "help" so thanks, BUT).

Anyway, my point here is that to suggest Britain's acts were in anyway barbaric when it stood alone against a collapsing Europe is ridiculous. Britain was under constant attack, not threat of attack, not weather balloons with bombs tied to them attack, actual fucking attack. Something America never really experienced.

Think what happened when some terrorists blew up 2 buildings in New York City, America stepped up its war to destroy the fabric of the Middle East. All for 2 fucking buildings, with the same logic, Britain could have blown up Ireland for the attacks on Britain’s financial district or the Canary Warf or the...

the list is fucking endless in this case, but the point is valid. Why they didn't is an even better story (coughing) American money and support. (And not for the British).

As for WWII, Britain's capital was under attack everyday for years. I think in perspective, carpet bombing Hamburg and Dresden is not quite "Barbaric". Especially when you consider that the documentary in question was made right around the time America went to South East Asia and began a campaign of carpet bombing specifically targeting non combatants in countries that America wasn't actually at war with (Loas, Cambodia).

Don't throw fucking stones is my point here, your high road is eight miles below the surface and paved with the blood of pour people, from all sides.