Remnants of war

[theblether]

The vilification of the Japanese was a direct result of US Imperial foreign policy meddling, and political cowardice by one of the worst, and certainly most racist Presidents in US history, Theodore Roosevelt.

Japan was an isolated society until 1855, they closed their borders to prevent Western power meddling and interference, and lived peacefully for years. The US, for some reason known only to themselves, sent the biggest fleet yet assembled to Japan in and bullied the Japanese into subservience.

Unlike the Chinese, who had the opportunity to learn and take advantage of the technological advances offered by the British during the Industrial Revolution, but arrogantly dismissed it, the Japanese saw the steel hulled fire breathing ships of the US navy and decided they wanted a bit of that. So they became effectively a servant state of the US in the Pacific and sent thousands of young men to the US to learn modern industrial techniques.

Left to their own devices, the Japanese would have not gathered unto themselves the military might that eventually terrorised the Pacific region.

Years later, enter Roosevelt, who believed that it was the duty of the Aryan race to follow the Sun westwards to one day circumnavigate the globe to the white races homeland in the Caucus. He believed that the US Christian white man was the natural successor to the Teutonic fore-bearers that had themselves spread into the Germanic lands from the Caucus, where they defeated the Roman Empire.

A result of the relative peace after the fall of Rome was a period of population explosion in the Germanic lands which resulted in a search for lebensraum, and the eventual invasion of the Germanic tribes into the Southern British Isles. The " English " natives capitulated in the face of the famed Teutonic organizational strength, ( nothing changes eh? ) and these lands fell under Anglo-Saxon rule. At this point I should point out that I'm a Pictish-Celt, my family history has been tracked back to the 11th Century. The Teutonic King of Northumberland attempted an invasion of Scotland and the Pictish clans defeated them. So we Picts defeated the Romans ( they had to build two walls to keep us out, wimps ) then the Teutons oh and a few years later we sent Proud Edwards army homewards to think again. Incidentally we allowed the English to form the nation currently called England at the Treaty of York in 1237 because we Scots are a charitable lot and we felt sorry for them not having a country they could call home.

Anyway, where was I? Oh aye, it was the Americans that caused the rise of Japan.

Roosevelt regarded the Teutons as being the template master race, he regarded the move westwards to Britain to be a refinement, and he regarded the move further westward to the US as an even further improvement on the master race.

It was the duty of the American Aryan in his mind to fulfil the white man's destiny, and he further believed that the weaker brown races would inevitably perish as a result of natural selection. If a wee bit of genocide occurred ( you know, like the slaughter of the Native Indians ) then that was fine cos they were all going to die anyway.

He set his eyes upon Imperial expansion Westwards, and without going into too much detail, he decided it would be a great idea to annexe the Philippines. He persuaded a reluctant President McKinley to send a US naval force nominally to oversee and help the Filipino's in their struggle against Spanish oppression, ( the same Spain that introduced the concept of concentration camps as they sought to defeat Filipino "rebels" ), and the US marines eventually went ashore to take the Spanish garrison which was under siege in Manila, ( I think, can't be bothered checking ).

Anyway, The US couldn't be having these Pacific Negroes ( that's what they called the Filipino's ) thinking that they defeated a white Christian power ( as they regarded the Spanish ) so they arranged a farcical fight, someone threw a chicken at a horse, someone else put his dirty socks on a pole and threatened to throw them, and on hearing this dreadful threat, the Spanish surrendered.

The Filipino's were quite delighted at this turn of events and declared Independence from Spain. After a year of these shenanigins the US told them don't be stupid, your just a bunch of Pacific tribal negroes, you don't have the brains to run the country so we're keeping you and that's it.

Well, the Filipino's weren't very content with that and another incursion started, where in the US introduced their own concentration camps and spent their R & R raping the Pinoy princesses. Thousands upon thousands of US servicemen died in the incursion but the lowest estimate of Filipino deaths in the concentration camps and through combat is 250,000.

Anyway, the US thought that the Philippines would be a great trade route to China and a great coaling station ( that's what they wanted Hawaii for by the way, a coaling station ) but obviously nobody in the state department had a map. The Philippines were not on the trade route to China. Duh.

Meanwhile Japan was getting filled with ideas from the US about racial supremacy, in fact one emissary from Japan told Roosevelt " we may look yellow on the outside, but on the inside we are white, just like you "

Roosevelt was delighted, the Koreans looked to the US for support in the face of Japan's surging power, which the US tentatively gave, but the US was looking at the bigger picture ( China ) and Korea was to be sacrificed to Japan in an act of betrayal.

Part of the reason for that was that the Trans-Siberia railway had allowed the European Russians ( Slavic Christians ) to access Northern Manchuria with masses of troops, and it didn't suit the US for this expansion to take place.

So they got the Japanese to go fight the Russians in Manchuria.

Imperial America directed their creation Imperial Japan to fight against Imperial Russia. One technique that the Japanese used was to launch a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur ( they hadn't declared war, just attacked ) and sank the Russian fleet.

Roosevelt was delighted with this tactic and sent a note of congratulation. This obviously stuck in the minds of the Japanese as they used the same tactic at Pearl Harbour.

Anyway, the Japs done the Russians in, went wild with celebrations, cheered all things American to the rafters and never was there a happier time in US-Japanese relationships.

Problem was though, the Japanese wanted war reparations as they had lost hundreds of thousands of men fighting this proxy war, and Tsar Nicholas was determined not to pay any to these " little yellow monkeys ". Roosevelt was delighted that the Japs won the war but then realized it didn't suit his racial certitude.

He couldn't understand how the yellow man had beaten this massive white Christian power, and he was determined not to add to the defeat by humiliating the Russians into paying reparations. So he called a summit and played the peace maker ( oh,the devil in disguise, good song that ) and forced the Japanese into accepting no reparations.

Now the Japanese were humiliated, and their love of all things American turned to hatred which resulted in their new found desire ( taught by the US ) to prove their racial supremacy over the Asians in their own version of the Monroe Doctrine in the Pacific theatre.

America unleashed the monster. The monster came back and bit them at Pearl Harbour and beyond.

Meanwhile back at the Foreign Office in London, the Brits looked on in amazement. If the US had wanted to enter heavily into the Chinese market all they had to do was rent a few warehouses in Hong Kong instead of starting this ball rolling.

Right, so Pearl Harbour, Iwo Jima, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, that story is well known.

Lesser known is the Japanese invasion and basically two day war with Thailand, Bangkok bottled it and sued for peace, the Japs raced down the Malay Peninsula to the eventual capture of Singapore. My uncle was captured there and that was a calamity upon calamities. The primary reason for the surrender was a burst water pipe, therefore making it the " Worst Burst Water Pipe In History ", I've got that essay in my archives somewhere.

The Australians are still going mad about losing their men there to this day, I was involved in a heated debate with a guide at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, the bottom line was there was a lack of air cover over Singapore, the Brits were under severe pressure in Europe and didn't have the resources to supply cover. I asked the guide why the Australians couldn't have provided cover and he shut up.

anyway, the Japs went through the pretence of being allied with Thailand The Thais saved face and the Japanese just did what they wanted. They obviously built the Death Railway, ( people forget that many Asians died building that track too ) and the Japanese headed North in the hope of capturing Burma and eventually joining up with German forces in India. ( Churchill's nightmare ).

Would you believe there's a Japanese-Thai friendship bridge just outside Pai, complete with the posed photos of Thais looking proud of themselves standing next to Japanese soldiers.

So, on topic ( well it all has been ) the US made a complete and utter ass of foreign policy after the war ( to be fair they were over-run, the very few professionals they had were undone by idiotic amateurs ) and they let Thailand off the hook. Thailand was a war ally with Japan. Full stop. The British wanted to impose direct rule on the country and it was agreed to be the case, but it was undone by amateur interference after the agreement.

Thailand should have had direct rule imposed, this was an error of judgement by the state department, a lot of the ills of Thailand today would have been eradicated if it had happened.

Back to this Friendship Bridge, my Thai ex gf was quite switched on, degree educated. I was astounded when she took me to this bridge and looked proudly on the photos. I could not believe it. As a result of that I took her to Singapore to see the other side of the story, she was gobsmacked.

This country has been allowed to wander about in a historical daze, as I said earlier, history hidden is history forgotten. Prejudice replaces facts, ignorance runs riot. No wonder the level of ignorance displayed by the lady in the OP exists, we allowed it, and by not knowing our own history, we still allow it.

Just for once I'm not just sayin'

I'm sayin'

[theblether]

Oh wait a minute......I forgot. Too many words.

[transam]

I gave up.

[Morakot]

Oh wait a minute......I forgot. Too many words.

Summary+Paragraph.pdf

How_to_write_an_execsummary.pdf

Edited June 19, 2013 by Morakot

[boosta]

Well I read it all and think absorbed it pretty well.

I never claimed that she had an accurate objective view of history ( personally think not a possibility for mere mortals anyway ).

Just found it interesting that she was at all knowledgeable on such subjects, and her POV had been so effectively shaped to match US propaganda so many decades later.

And I also still think the mental image of a "secret" Thai government orphanage full of thousands of sex workers' half-GI kids then next decade some of their kids returning 3/4 foreign, muttering "kliet yipoon" under their breath, would be the basis of a great story somehow, truth stranger than fiction and all.

Maybe I'll write a book. . .

[Rob8891]

<snip>

Maybe I'll write a book. . .

Too late! Theblether already did....

[David48]

Great post theblether ...

Though, like a big meal ... will take me some time to chomp through and digest it.

Anyone got any Gaviscon?

.

[theblether]

Oh wait a minute......I forgot. Too many words.

Do you mind, that was the summary.

[krisb]

 

Oh wait a minute......I forgot.  Too many words.  

 

 

Do you mind, that was the summary.  

Blether, glad your back mate, the place just ain't the same without ya!

[krisb]

I gave up.

Yep, I got it the 2nd time round TA..

[GooEng]

The vilification of the Japanese was a direct result of US Imperial foreign policy meddling, and political cowardice by one of the worst, and certainly most racist Presidents in US history, Theodore Roosevelt.

Japan was an isolated society until 1855, they closed their borders to prevent Western power meddling and interference, and lived peacefully for years. The US, for some reason known only to themselves, sent the biggest fleet yet assembled to Japan in and bullied the Japanese into subservience.

Unlike the Chinese, who had the opportunity to learn and take advantage of the technological advances offered by the British during the Industrial Revolution, but arrogantly dismissed it, the Japanese saw the steel hulled fire breathing ships of the US navy and decided they wanted a bit of that. So they became effectively a servant state of the US in the Pacific and sent thousands of young men to the US to learn modern industrial techniques.

Left to their own devices, the Japanese would have not gathered unto themselves the military might that eventually terrorised the Pacific region.

Years later, enter Roosevelt, who believed that it was the duty of the Aryan race to follow the Sun westwards to one day circumnavigate the globe to the white races homeland in the Caucus. He believed that the US Christian white man was the natural successor to the Teutonic fore-bearers that had themselves spread into the Germanic lands from the Caucus, where they defeated the Roman Empire.

A result of the relative peace after the fall of Rome was a period of population explosion in the Germanic lands which resulted in a search for lebensraum, and the eventual invasion of the Germanic tribes into the Southern British Isles. The " English " natives capitulated in the face of the famed Teutonic organizational strength, ( nothing changes eh? ) and these lands fell under Anglo-Saxon rule. At this point I should point out that I'm a Pictish-Celt, my family history has been tracked back to the 11th Century. The Teutonic King of Northumberland attempted an invasion of Scotland and the Pictish clans defeated them. So we Picts defeated the Romans ( they had to build two walls to keep us out, wimps ) then the Teutons oh and a few years later we sent Proud Edwards army homewards to think again. Incidentally we allowed the English to form the nation currently called England at the Treaty of York in 1237 because we Scots are a charitable lot and we felt sorry for them not having a country they could call home.

Anyway, where was I? Oh aye, it was the Americans that caused the rise of Japan.

Roosevelt regarded the Teutons as being the template master race, he regarded the move westwards to Britain to be a refinement, and he regarded the move further westward to the US as an even further improvement on the master race.

It was the duty of the American Aryan in his mind to fulfil the white man's destiny, and he further believed that the weaker brown races would inevitably perish as a result of natural selection. If a wee bit of genocide occurred ( you know, like the slaughter of the Native Indians ) then that was fine cos they were all going to die anyway.

He set his eyes upon Imperial expansion Westwards, and without going into too much detail, he decided it would be a great idea to annexe the Philippines. He persuaded a reluctant President McKinley to send a US naval force nominally to oversee and help the Filipino's in their struggle against Spanish oppression, ( the same Spain that introduced the concept of concentration camps as they sought to defeat Filipino "rebels" ), and the US marines eventually went ashore to take the Spanish garrison which was under siege in Manila, ( I think, can't be bothered checking ).

Anyway, The US couldn't be having these Pacific Negroes ( that's what they called the Filipino's ) thinking that they defeated a white Christian power ( as they regarded the Spanish ) so they arranged a farcical fight, someone threw a chicken at a horse, someone else put his dirty socks on a pole and threatened to throw them, and on hearing this dreadful threat, the Spanish surrendered.

The Filipino's were quite delighted at this turn of events and declared Independence from Spain. After a year of these shenanigins the US told them don't be stupid, your just a bunch of Pacific tribal negroes, you don't have the brains to run the country so we're keeping you and that's it.

Well, the Filipino's weren't very content with that and another incursion started, where in the US introduced their own concentration camps and spent their R & R raping the Pinoy princesses. Thousands upon thousands of US servicemen died in the incursion but the lowest estimate of Filipino deaths in the concentration camps and through combat is 250,000.

Anyway, the US thought that the Philippines would be a great trade route to China and a great coaling station ( that's what they wanted Hawaii for by the way, a coaling station ) but obviously nobody in the state department had a map. The Philippines were not on the trade route to China. Duh.

Meanwhile Japan was getting filled with ideas from the US about racial supremacy, in fact one emissary from Japan told Roosevelt " we may look yellow on the outside, but on the inside we are white, just like you "

Roosevelt was delighted, the Koreans looked to the US for support in the face of Japan's surging power, which the US tentatively gave, but the US was looking at the bigger picture ( China ) and Korea was to be sacrificed to Japan in an act of betrayal.

Part of the reason for that was that the Trans-Siberia railway had allowed the European Russians ( Slavic Christians ) to access Northern Manchuria with masses of troops, and it didn't suit the US for this expansion to take place.

So they got the Japanese to go fight the Russians in Manchuria.

Imperial America directed their creation Imperial Japan to fight against Imperial Russia. One technique that the Japanese used was to launch a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur ( they hadn't declared war, just attacked ) and sank the Russian fleet.

Roosevelt was delighted with this tactic and sent a note of congratulation. This obviously stuck in the minds of the Japanese as they used the same tactic at Pearl Harbour.

Anyway, the Japs done the Russians in, went wild with celebrations, cheered all things American to the rafters and never was there a happier time in US-Japanese relationships.

Problem was though, the Japanese wanted war reparations as they had lost hundreds of thousands of men fighting this proxy war, and Tsar Nicholas was determined not to pay any to these " little yellow monkeys ". Roosevelt was delighted that the Japs won the war but then realized it didn't suit his racial certitude.

He couldn't understand how the yellow man had beaten this massive white Christian power, and he was determined not to add to the defeat by humiliating the Russians into paying reparations. So he called a summit and played the peace maker ( oh,the devil in disguise, good song that ) and forced the Japanese into accepting no reparations.

Now the Japanese were humiliated, and their love of all things American turned to hatred which resulted in their new found desire ( taught by the US ) to prove their racial supremacy over the Asians in their own version of the Monroe Doctrine in the Pacific theatre.

America unleashed the monster. The monster came back and bit them at Pearl Harbour and beyond.

Meanwhile back at the Foreign Office in London, the Brits looked on in amazement. If the US had wanted to enter heavily into the Chinese market all they had to do was rent a few warehouses in Hong Kong instead of starting this ball rolling.

Right, so Pearl Harbour, Iwo Jima, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, that story is well known.

Lesser known is the Japanese invasion and basically two day war with Thailand, Bangkok bottled it and sued for peace, the Japs raced down the Malay Peninsula to the eventual capture of Singapore. My uncle was captured there and that was a calamity upon calamities. The primary reason for the surrender was a burst water pipe, therefore making it the " Worst Burst Water Pipe In History ", I've got that essay in my archives somewhere.

The Australians are still going mad about losing their men there to this day, I was involved in a heated debate with a guide at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, the bottom line was there was a lack of air cover over Singapore, the Brits were under severe pressure in Europe and didn't have the resources to supply cover. I asked the guide why the Australians couldn't have provided cover and he shut up.

anyway, the Japs went through the pretence of being allied with Thailand The Thais saved face and the Japanese just did what they wanted. They obviously built the Death Railway, ( people forget that many Asians died building that track too ) and the Japanese headed North in the hope of capturing Burma and eventually joining up with German forces in India. ( Churchill's nightmare ).

Would you believe there's a Japanese-Thai friendship bridge just outside Pai, complete with the posed photos of Thais looking proud of themselves standing next to Japanese soldiers.

So, on topic ( well it all has been ) the US made a complete and utter ass of foreign policy after the war ( to be fair they were over-run, the very few professionals they had were undone by idiotic amateurs ) and they let Thailand off the hook. Thailand was a war ally with Japan. Full stop. The British wanted to impose direct rule on the country and it was agreed to be the case, but it was undone by amateur interference after the agreement.

Thailand should have had direct rule imposed, this was an error of judgement by the state department, a lot of the ills of Thailand today would have been eradicated if it had happened.

Back to this Friendship Bridge, my Thai ex gf was quite switched on, degree educated. I was astounded when she took me to this bridge and looked proudly on the photos. I could not believe it. As a result of that I took her to Singapore to see the other side of the story, she was gobsmacked.

This country has been allowed to wander about in a historical daze, as I said earlier, history hidden is history forgotten. Prejudice replaces facts, ignorance runs riot. No wonder the level of ignorance displayed by the lady in the OP exists, we allowed it, and by not knowing our own history, we still allow it.

Just for once I'm not just sayin'

I'm sayin'

So, just in case any of the non-scots board members were unsure what "blether" means, see above.

(Just kidding chief, good post)

[I Like Thai]

Very good articles, but you're right. The Americans will go apeshit when they wake up

[theblether]

Very good articles, but you're right. The Americans will go apeshit when they wake up

I know, I better go put my flame retardant suit on ​

[Morakot]

Oh wait a minute......I forgot. Too many words.

Do you mind, that was the summary.

No I don't mind. Now I have to admit I thought it was the introduction to a short history lesson. Now having read it, I realised that you don't seem to be doing this. Neither does it seem to be a revisionist account of a particular history. Instead --to my amazement and delight-- you present some kind ubiquitous literary subjectivity that finds its strength in the dispersion and re-framing of the subject at hand, which is a powerful way of dealing with the continual fragmentation of the co-occurring, partially overlapping, and partially contradicting multitude of narratives. What I admire is that you don't give a masternarrative of this is it how it was, but show as how the past is an unfolding of this multitude of events that in their interpretation have some relevance to the presence, to current events in people's lifes.

Edited June 19, 2013 by Morakot

[rijb]

Very good articles, but you're right. The Americans will go apeshit when they wake up

Since our only historical records are hollywood movies, we are shocked at the rampant sanctimony that goes on outside the U.S.. Cease and desist your propaganda immediately!

[theblether]

Very good articles, but you're right. The Americans will go apeshit when they wake up

Since our only historical records are hollywood movies, we are shocked at the rampant sanctimony that goes on outside the U.S.. Cease and desist your propaganda immediately!

Sorry

[theblether]

Very good articles, but you're right. The Americans will go apeshit when they wake up

Since our only historical records are hollywood movies, we are shocked at the rampant sanctimony that goes on outside the U.S.. Cease and desist your propaganda immediately!

On a serious note, a lot of people don't know that the US militarily bombed and intimidated Japan in 1855, and they don't know that the US filled their heads full Imperialism and ideas of racial supremacy.

That's a serious gap in knowledge.

[rijb]

There are many good books and experts, about Teddy, in the U.S.

Most Americans take mandatory American history and World history courses in school. Did we learn all the ugly truths? Nope. Is that a surprise?

Maybe we could take out the bits about Scotland and Britain to make more room.

[boosta]

If I were to ask "What is the connection between Martin Luther King and Obama's current 'discussion' with Snowden", most people here would understand a lot more of what I'm talking about than 99% of last year's American high school graduates.

These days no question we're doomed to repeat and repeat, even just a few years later. As a matter of fact so few people really know what's going on with current events (today's 'history') that TPTB can keep repeating their 'mistakes' before we're even finished with the last round - can you say Syria?

Edited June 19, 2013 by boosta

[rijb]

If I were to ask "What is the connection between Martin Luther King and Obama's current 'discussion' with Snowden", most people here would understand a lot more of what I'm talking about than 99% of last year's American high school graduates.

These days no question we're doomed to repeat and repeat, even just a few years later. As a matter of fact so few people really know what's going on with current events (today's 'history') that TPTB can keep repeating their 'mistakes' before we're even finished with the last round - can you say Syria?

Greed and thirst-for-power trump knowledge of the past more times than not.

My problem with education (here, there, almost everywhere) is that we shouldn't be teaching answers. We should be teaching how to ask smarter and more relevant questions.

[boosta]

Yes but when people just don't care, happy with their bread and circuses. . .

[David48]

There are many good books and experts, about Teddy, in the U.S.

Most Americans take mandatory American history and World history courses in school. Did we learn all the ugly truths? Nope. Is that a surprise?

Maybe we could take out the bits about Scotland and Britain to make more room.

...

Just leave in the good bits about Australians ... impeccable lot those Aussies ...

.

[rene123]

Thank you for posting the topic, boosta. Even if only 10 percent of what the girl said is actually true, it is still an interesting tale. And, had you not posted it then theblether would not have posted his rebuttal... of which maybe not all of that is true either.

[theblether]

Thank you for posting the topic, boosta. Even if only 10 percent of what the girl said is actually true, it is still an interesting tale. And, had you not posted it then theblether would not have posted his rebuttal... of which maybe not all of that is true either.

It's true. If you would like to do some simple research on the subject matter that I've brought up order a book called "The Imperial Cruise" by James Bradley. It's extraordinarily well researched and quotes from papers discovered after the death of Roosevelt.

Use that as your template then go further into researching the issues brought up in the book. The US has a long history of educating eventual enemies.

.

Edited June 20, 2013 by theblether

[rene123]

Thank you for posting the topic, boosta. Even if only 10 percent of what the girl said is actually true, it is still an interesting tale. And, had you not posted it then theblether would not have posted his rebuttal... of which maybe not all of that is true either.

It's true. If you would like to do some simple research on the subject matter that I've brought up order a book called "The Imperial Cruise" by James Bradley. It's extraordinarily well researched and quotes from papers discovered after the death of Roosevelt.

Use that as your template then go further into researching the issues brought up in the book. The US has a long history of educating eventual enemies.

.

I don't doubt that most of what you say is true. I've seen a lot of it with my own eyes. But, I've also seen holes in many well researched documents.

[theblether]

Thank you for posting the topic, boosta. Even if only 10 percent of what the girl said is actually true, it is still an interesting tale. And, had you not posted it then theblether would not have posted his rebuttal... of which maybe not all of that is true either.

It's true. If you would like to do some simple research on the subject matter that I've brought up order a book called "The Imperial Cruise" by James Bradley. It's extraordinarily well researched and quotes from papers discovered after the death of Roosevelt.

Use that as your template then go further into researching the issues brought up in the book. The US has a long history of educating eventual enemies.

.

I don't doubt that most of what you say is true. I've seen a lot of it with my own eyes. But, I've also seen holes in many well researched documents.

That's why I said use the book as a template then research further.

Many of the issues I covered are easily checked historical facts, there's very little that can't be verified by some quick Google searches.

http://japaneseisolation.weebly.com/

http://japaneseisolation.weebly.com/causes.html

http://japaneseisolation.weebly.com/isolation-ends.html

Note on that last link that Perry used a show of force to get Japan to open to the West. He opened fire on them. Most people, and most Americans don't know that their government sent over a force to open fire on a peaceful nation without due cause or warning.

The Japanese couldn't believe it.

[rene123]

And, it is still happening today. When natural resources and large sums of money are at stake then there will always be those that will do what ever it takes to get it.

[simple1]

The vilification of the Japanese was a direct result of US Imperial foreign policy meddling, and political cowardice by one of the worst, and certainly most racist Presidents in US history, Theodore Roosevelt.

Japan was an isolated society until 1855, they closed their borders to prevent Western power meddling and interference, and lived peacefully for years. The US, for some reason known only to themselves, sent the biggest fleet yet assembled to Japan in and bullied the Japanese into subservience.

Unlike the Chinese, who had the opportunity to learn and take advantage of the technological advances offered by the British during the Industrial Revolution, but arrogantly dismissed it, the Japanese saw the steel hulled fire breathing ships of the US navy and decided they wanted a bit of that. So they became effectively a servant state of the US in the Pacific and sent thousands of young men to the US to learn modern industrial techniques.

Left to their own devices, the Japanese would have not gathered unto themselves the military might that eventually terrorised the Pacific region.

Years later, enter Roosevelt, who believed that it was the duty of the Aryan race to follow the Sun westwards to one day circumnavigate the globe to the white races homeland in the Caucus. He believed that the US Christian white man was the natural successor to the Teutonic fore-bearers that had themselves spread into the Germanic lands from the Caucus, where they defeated the Roman Empire.

A result of the relative peace after the fall of Rome was a period of population explosion in the Germanic lands which resulted in a search for lebensraum, and the eventual invasion of the Germanic tribes into the Southern British Isles. The " English " natives capitulated in the face of the famed Teutonic organizational strength, ( nothing changes eh? ) and these lands fell under Anglo-Saxon rule. At this point I should point out that I'm a Pictish-Celt, my family history has been tracked back to the 11th Century. The Teutonic King of Northumberland attempted an invasion of Scotland and the Pictish clans defeated them. So we Picts defeated the Romans ( they had to build two walls to keep us out, wimps ) then the Teutons oh and a few years later we sent Proud Edwards army homewards to think again. Incidentally we allowed the English to form the nation currently called England at the Treaty of York in 1237 because we Scots are a charitable lot and we felt sorry for them not having a country they could call home.

Anyway, where was I? Oh aye, it was the Americans that caused the rise of Japan.

Roosevelt regarded the Teutons as being the template master race, he regarded the move westwards to Britain to be a refinement, and he regarded the move further westward to the US as an even further improvement on the master race.

It was the duty of the American Aryan in his mind to fulfil the white man's destiny, and he further believed that the weaker brown races would inevitably perish as a result of natural selection. If a wee bit of genocide occurred ( you know, like the slaughter of the Native Indians ) then that was fine cos they were all going to die anyway.

He set his eyes upon Imperial expansion Westwards, and without going into too much detail, he decided it would be a great idea to annexe the Philippines. He persuaded a reluctant President McKinley to send a US naval force nominally to oversee and help the Filipino's in their struggle against Spanish oppression, ( the same Spain that introduced the concept of concentration camps as they sought to defeat Filipino "rebels" ), and the US marines eventually went ashore to take the Spanish garrison which was under siege in Manila, ( I think, can't be bothered checking ).

Anyway, The US couldn't be having these Pacific Negroes ( that's what they called the Filipino's ) thinking that they defeated a white Christian power ( as they regarded the Spanish ) so they arranged a farcical fight, someone threw a chicken at a horse, someone else put his dirty socks on a pole and threatened to throw them, and on hearing this dreadful threat, the Spanish surrendered.

The Filipino's were quite delighted at this turn of events and declared Independence from Spain. After a year of these shenanigins the US told them don't be stupid, your just a bunch of Pacific tribal negroes, you don't have the brains to run the country so we're keeping you and that's it.

Well, the Filipino's weren't very content with that and another incursion started, where in the US introduced their own concentration camps and spent their R & R raping the Pinoy princesses. Thousands upon thousands of US servicemen died in the incursion but the lowest estimate of Filipino deaths in the concentration camps and through combat is 250,000.

Anyway, the US thought that the Philippines would be a great trade route to China and a great coaling station ( that's what they wanted Hawaii for by the way, a coaling station ) but obviously nobody in the state department had a map. The Philippines were not on the trade route to China. Duh.

Meanwhile Japan was getting filled with ideas from the US about racial supremacy, in fact one emissary from Japan told Roosevelt " we may look yellow on the outside, but on the inside we are white, just like you "

Roosevelt was delighted, the Koreans looked to the US for support in the face of Japan's surging power, which the US tentatively gave, but the US was looking at the bigger picture ( China ) and Korea was to be sacrificed to Japan in an act of betrayal.

Part of the reason for that was that the Trans-Siberia railway had allowed the European Russians ( Slavic Christians ) to access Northern Manchuria with masses of troops, and it didn't suit the US for this expansion to take place.

So they got the Japanese to go fight the Russians in Manchuria.

Imperial America directed their creation Imperial Japan to fight against Imperial Russia. One technique that the Japanese used was to launch a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur ( they hadn't declared war, just attacked ) and sank the Russian fleet.

Roosevelt was delighted with this tactic and sent a note of congratulation. This obviously stuck in the minds of the Japanese as they used the same tactic at Pearl Harbour.

Anyway, the Japs done the Russians in, went wild with celebrations, cheered all things American to the rafters and never was there a happier time in US-Japanese relationships.

Problem was though, the Japanese wanted war reparations as they had lost hundreds of thousands of men fighting this proxy war, and Tsar Nicholas was determined not to pay any to these " little yellow monkeys ". Roosevelt was delighted that the Japs won the war but then realized it didn't suit his racial certitude.

He couldn't understand how the yellow man had beaten this massive white Christian power, and he was determined not to add to the defeat by humiliating the Russians into paying reparations. So he called a summit and played the peace maker ( oh,the devil in disguise, good song that ) and forced the Japanese into accepting no reparations.

Now the Japanese were humiliated, and their love of all things American turned to hatred which resulted in their new found desire ( taught by the US ) to prove their racial supremacy over the Asians in their own version of the Monroe Doctrine in the Pacific theatre.

America unleashed the monster. The monster came back and bit them at Pearl Harbour and beyond.

Meanwhile back at the Foreign Office in London, the Brits looked on in amazement. If the US had wanted to enter heavily into the Chinese market all they had to do was rent a few warehouses in Hong Kong instead of starting this ball rolling.

Right, so Pearl Harbour, Iwo Jima, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, that story is well known.

Lesser known is the Japanese invasion and basically two day war with Thailand, Bangkok bottled it and sued for peace, the Japs raced down the Malay Peninsula to the eventual capture of Singapore. My uncle was captured there and that was a calamity upon calamities. The primary reason for the surrender was a burst water pipe, therefore making it the " Worst Burst Water Pipe In History ", I've got that essay in my archives somewhere.

The Australians are still going mad about losing their men there to this day, I was involved in a heated debate with a guide at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, the bottom line was there was a lack of air cover over Singapore, the Brits were under severe pressure in Europe and didn't have the resources to supply cover. I asked the guide why the Australians couldn't have provided cover and he shut up.

anyway, the Japs went through the pretence of being allied with Thailand The Thais saved face and the Japanese just did what they wanted. They obviously built the Death Railway, ( people forget that many Asians died building that track too ) and the Japanese headed North in the hope of capturing Burma and eventually joining up with German forces in India. ( Churchill's nightmare ).

Would you believe there's a Japanese-Thai friendship bridge just outside Pai, complete with the posed photos of Thais looking proud of themselves standing next to Japanese soldiers.

So, on topic ( well it all has been ) the US made a complete and utter ass of foreign policy after the war ( to be fair they were over-run, the very few professionals they had were undone by idiotic amateurs ) and they let Thailand off the hook. Thailand was a war ally with Japan. Full stop. The British wanted to impose direct rule on the country and it was agreed to be the case, but it was undone by amateur interference after the agreement.

Thailand should have had direct rule imposed, this was an error of judgement by the state department, a lot of the ills of Thailand today would have been eradicated if it had happened.

Back to this Friendship Bridge, my Thai ex gf was quite switched on, degree educated. I was astounded when she took me to this bridge and looked proudly on the photos. I could not believe it. As a result of that I took her to Singapore to see the other side of the story, she was gobsmacked.

This country has been allowed to wander about in a historical daze, as I said earlier, history hidden is history forgotten. Prejudice replaces facts, ignorance runs riot. No wonder the level of ignorance displayed by the lady in the OP exists, we allowed it, and by not knowing our own history, we still allow it.

Just for once I'm not just sayin'

I'm sayin'

Interesting reading; a few points of detail. The British designed and built the Japanese battleships that were deployed during the attack on Port Arthur. Also the RAAF (4 squadrons?) were withdrawn from Singapore as they were outmoded and would have been destroyed by the Japanese airforce for no gain, as had happened to the RAF

[bobbin]

Blether

I won't say you are wrong but looking at a picture from different angles produces different views.

First off, I studied the Japanese language for 4 years, including an initial 3 month immersion course on a Japanese campus. I studied Japanese history so I am aware of Perry's Black Fleet. I was taught it was a commercial invasion. The business of America is Business.

The Japanese defeated the Imperial (seems everyone was into being Imperial in those days) Russian Navy twice. The unannounced attack on Port Arthur put paid to the Eastern Fleet. Russia responded by sending the Western Fleet from the Black Sea, a journey that took 6 months. The Japanese Imperial Navy met them in the Straits of Tsushima, sank the Russian Flagship and many others.

The replacement of the Spanish in the Philippines was a result of the Spanish/American war in Cuba (Teddy being a prime instigator) amid claims of a possibly spurious attack on an American warship in Havana. Possession of the Philippines was a result of the peace treaty between Spain and America. There was resistance from the Filipinos to be sure. The Colt .45 was developed for that Theatre. America had already promised the Filipinos self-determination previous to the Pacific War.

The Japanese desired all the society-building commodities still in demand today but possessed few of them. They wanted to join the Empire Club. After all, they said, they had been our allies in the First WW. Japanese destroyers patrolled the American and Canadian West Coasts to deter potential German submarine attacks.

Singapore. The Australians were victims of British thinking that the Homeland was everything and Australia might have to be sacrificed. the Aussies were already fighting in N. Africa but wanted to bring their troops home. Churchill delayed.

etc.

[cpofc]

Of course it is always the victors who write the history. Even Churchill said that history would be kind to him, for he intended to write it. (I am unashamedly a big fan of Winston, even being a 4th Gen Australian Baby Boomer ' where all my family have been Oz Military, since 1915) I have been an amateur WW2 history buff since I was a kid in primary school. .

Too many topics to cover here. Except, getting back to the OP and the (Thai) Remnants of WW2. My (English speaking) Thai father in law worked for the American Military since WW2. During the VN War he worked for them, mainly in Korat. I just find this girls commentary on the history of the Japanese 'Occupation' of Thailand extraordinary especially when considering her age. You have to go a long way to find Thais who know, or much less care, about it. it was only a few years ago my elderly Mother In Law told me she had just found out what a bad man Hitler was!

When I was living here in the early 80s there was a big issue made about the AmeriAsian war babies. Where I lived, in the khlong Toey slums in Sukhumvit 22 we had one who had been deserted and was being brought up by a Thai family. They called him 'Bozo', which in Australia is not a flattering nickname. He was very white with ginger type hair and freckles and very much the 'odd kid out'. I felt dreadfully sorry for him. We would sometimes, on a Sunday, pack all the kids up and take them out to Siam Park. I always made sure that Bozo came. I wonder whatever became of him. AmeriAsian war babies were 'second class citizens' and placed squarely behind the eight ball from birth. With some exceptions maybe.

The Japanese pathological hatred of the Chinese is well known. As the 'Japanese Co Prosperity Sphere' raced across Asia, Chinese communities in every country, island and atoll were specifically singled out for destruction and 'extermination'. Most resistance movements in places like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore were predominantly Ethnic Chinese. Have a look at the 'Sook Chee' in Singapore. The Japs in Thailand had an abject fear and loathing of 'local' collaboration with the enemy (POWs). They were paranoid about it, and were quite ruthless in stamping it out. The Ethnic Chinese have greater cause than any of the native, indigenous, populations to have bitter memories of Japanese Imperialism.

As for the Fall Of Singapore. Yes many Australians are still pissed off about it, perhaps, the greatest military blunder of the War. We know now that Singapore really could have been held. But you also have to remember that Churchill's No. 1 priority was to save 'his island', his people - and in those dark days, civilisation itself. You could say he pretty much had his hands full up until 07 DEC 1941.

To put it in a nutshell, We greatly underestimated our enemy. And that underestimation was based on 'race'. Much the same underestimation was made of the Vietnamese. Some of my American friends are still making the same mistake when it comes to China today.

Professor Niall Ferguson is an historian I admire greatly, take a look at a lot of his recent work.