Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response? [W:377]

[Bucky]

Did Franklin Roosevelt get it right in regards to interning 110,000 Japanese Americans? Was it based on war hysteria? Fear? Racism?

I believe the Roosevelt administration had it right based on the intelligence at the time. It was to prevent the threat of 5th Column activity and espionage. The fact is many of those interned were not even Japanese Americans, many were allowed to voluntarily leave the camp early and many did while many stayed voluntarily.

Going by U.S. intelligence, the Japanese were infiltrating/breaching our defense and recruiting Japanese Americans and ethnic Japanese residents. I'm sure some of the reasoning to intern the Japanese was racist, but I believe the majority of it was based on sound and objective reasoning.

 

[Van Basten]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

It was driven by hysteria.

Same with the interning of German/Italian-Americans.

Some racism, sure, but mostly hysteria.

Of course it was wrong, hence why the victims got reparations.

 

[X Factor]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Did Franklin Roosevelt get it right in regards to interning 110,000 Japanese Americans? Was it based on war hysteria? Fear? Racism?

I believe the Roosevelt administration had it right based on the intelligence at the time. It was to prevent the threat of 5th Column activity and espionage. The fact is many of those interned were not even Japanese Americans, many were allowed to voluntarily leave the camp early and many did while many stayed voluntarily.

Going by U.S. intelligence, the Japanese were infiltrating/breaching our defense and recruiting Japanese Americans and ethnic Japanese residents. I'm sure some of the reasoning to intern the Japanese was racist, but I believe the majority of it was based on sound and objective reasoning.

It was reactionary reasoning and that is rarely ever "sound and objective".

That said, why do I get the impression that this thread is really about inciting criticism of a Dem president?

 

[RogueWarrior]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Hysteria shouldn't trump (no pun intended) due process.

 

[Henrin]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

There is nothing right about imprisoning people with no evidence they did anything wrong.

 

[Helix]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

no, that was the wrong thing to do.

 

[Henrin]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

It was reactionary reasoning and that is rarely ever "sound and objective".

That said, why do I get the impression that this thread is really about inciting criticism of a Dem president?

It's not. This reasoning of his comes from another thread about Muslims.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Bartolo hit a HR and I agreed with Henrin. End of times indeed.

 

[Sherman123]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Did Franklin Roosevelt get it right in regards to interning 110,000 Japanese Americans? Was it based on war hysteria? Fear? Racism?

I believe the Roosevelt administration had it right based on the intelligence at the time. It was to prevent the threat of 5th Column activity and espionage. The fact is many of those interned were not even Japanese Americans, many were allowed to voluntarily leave the camp early and many did while many stayed voluntarily.

Going by U.S. intelligence, the Japanese were infiltrating/breaching our defense and recruiting Japanese Americans and ethnic Japanese residents. I'm sure some of the reasoning to intern the Japanese was racist, but I believe the majority of it was based on sound and objective reasoning.

I think the more interesting question is whether or not this action would have been appropriate if there had been a serious problem with Japanese infiltrators. Would we countenance it then? How far would it have to go before we would? Or would it never been justifiable?

 

[Josie]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

I distinctly remember learning about this in high school and I was so shocked that our country did that. I thought the teacher was just telling a fictional story.

 

[FieldTheorist]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Did Franklin Roosevelt get it right in regards to interning 110,000 Japanese Americans? Was it based on war hysteria? Fear? Racism?

I believe the Roosevelt administration had it right based on the intelligence at the time. It was to prevent the threat of 5th Column activity and espionage. The fact is many of those interned were not even Japanese Americans, many were allowed to voluntarily leave the camp early and many did while many stayed voluntarily.

Going by U.S. intelligence, the Japanese were infiltrating/breaching our defense and recruiting Japanese Americans and ethnic Japanese residents. I'm sure some of the reasoning to intern the Japanese was racist, but I believe the majority of it was based on sound and objective reasoning.

Is forcibly detaining a person based solely on their ethnicity ever a rational, justifiable thing?

 

[Fishking]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

There is inherent risk in a free society. If we let fear control us to committing such actions then we do not really have a free society. This is somewhat analogous to Trumps position on wanting to surveil Muslims and such. Both are infringements on liberty to address a real problem and both were/are wrong.

 

[Abbazorkzog]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

No more morally just than nuking 200,000 of them into a hell on earth.

 

[Sherman123]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

No more morally just than nuking 200,000 of them into a hell on earth.

Completely different questions with completely different ethical components. Let's not sidetrack this thread.

 

[Abbazorkzog]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Completely different questions with completely different ethical components. Let's not sidetrack this thread.

I disagree, I think they are comparable in multiple ways:

1) They both occurred in WWII.
2) They both befell the Japanese people.
3) They were both carried out by American Presidents.
4) They are both ignorant.

 

[Sherman123]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

I disagree, I think they are comparable in multiple ways:

1) They both occurred in WWII.
2) They both befell the Japanese people.
3) They were both carried out by American Presidents.
4) They are both ignorant.

Using that logic we could discuss virtually any topic which occurred during the Second World War depending on your vantage point. Why don't we avoid derailing this thread and set up a separate topic for the atomic bombings if you want to discuss it.

 

[Abbazorkzog]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Using that logic we could discuss virtually any topic which occurred during the Second World War depending on your vantage point. Why don't we avoid derailing this thread and set up a separate topic for the atomic bombings if you want to discuss it.

Wrong, because not 'virtually any topic which occurred during the Second World War' includes fascistic mass-executions of Japanese native-born and ethnic-minorities by American Presidents.

 

[Sherman123]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Wrong, because not 'virtually any topic which occurred during the Second World War' includes fascistic mass-executions of Japanese native-born and ethnic-minorities by American Presidents.

*sigh* fine I suppose we can discuss it here until the mods say otherwise. I'll begin: I firmly support the atomic bombings and oppose the internment. I believe the evidence bears out that they were a necessary war measure needed in order to bring about a close to a conflict which had claimed tens of millions of lives and was continuing to claim thousands of lives across the length and breadth of Asia every day. It was a moral imperative to do whatever could be done to bring an end to the war as quickly as possible.

 

[Tigerace117]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

I disagree, I think they are comparable in multiple ways:

1) They both occurred in WWII.
2) They both befell the Japanese people.
3) They were both carried out by American Presidents.
4) They are both ignorant.

Have you ever taken a look---a serious look--- at the projected casualties for Operation Downfall?

Hell by dropping the atomic bombs thousands of lives were saved in the end

 

[Abbazorkzog]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Have you ever taken a look---a serious look--- at the projected casualties for Operation Downfall?

Hell by dropping the atomic bombs thousands of lives were saved in the end

You call it a victory getting to that point? A phyrric victory at best. But when those are your two options, it is not outrageous to say one '****ed up'...

You can get all technical with the tactical and strategic merit imposed, but it doesn't change the fact that the Pacific, hell, the whole war itself, was one massive **** up.

 

[Sherman123]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

You call it a victory getting to that point? A phyrric victory at best. But when those are your two options, it is not outrageous to say one '****ed up'...

There is a world of difference in that though. One can acknowledge the necessity of the action while still mourning the insanity that caused it to become necessary in the first place.

 

[Citizen.Seven]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

The atomic bombs, in addition to saving many American lives, were justifiable retaliation against the nation of Japan. Internment of American citizens because of ancestory was bigoted nonsense, and was more likely to cause the very thing it wanted to prevent (i.e. animosity from a persecuted minority who were told by the USFG that they weren't real Americans, and did not have their rights recognized). After internments happened, it's somewhat surprising that a fifth column didn't happen to some degree.

 

[legalimmigrant]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

Would those of you who voted "no" accept a martial law that would provide military tribunals and death penalty for the acts of sabotage in lieu of camps?

 

[Abbazorkzog]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?

There is a world of difference in that though. One can acknowledge the necessity of the action while still mourning the insanity that caused it to become necessary in the first place.

I'm sorry, but I think WWII wouldn't have been necessary if Wall Street hadn't funded the friggen Nazis in the first place!

 

[Orly?]

Re: Was interning the Japanese during WW2 the right response?