Debate:Was it wrong for him to allow the attack in order to wake up the American public and motivate Americans to fight and win the war?

Did he really?! I havn't heard of this but will research it. If he did know thEn he was wrong.

Ben

Are you sure that would be wrong if Roosevelt did know? I think effective war strategy makes those kind of decisions. In chess it's called a "gambit".

--Aschlafly 10:46, 1 January 2007 (EST)

I'm guessing that "him" was Franklin D. Roosevelt and "the attack" was Pearl Harbor. The conditions leading up to Pearl Harbor are extremely controversial and I don't think the idea that Roosevelt knew is accepted as fact.

However, there is an incident, about which there's no doubt, that raises a similar moral question.

Oops. I take it back. There is doubt. Oh, well. I read about this in Anthony Cave-Brown's book, Bodyguard of Lies, but apparently its truth has been questioned. Well, here's the story anyway: Dpbsmith 12:24, 1 January 2007 (EST)

During the Second World War, the Allies broke the German coding system known as "Enigma," a fascinating story involving the early development of computers and Alan Turing. The Germans did not know the code had been broken. The Allies were therefore continually faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to act on the information they decrypted. If they were to act on it too often, the Germans would suspect the code had been broken and change the coding system, stopping the flow of information.

In November of 1940, the Allies learned, through a decrypted message, that the Germans intended to conduct an air raid on Coventry. They decided that it was more important to keep the secret of Ultra, their decrypting system, and therefore did not warn Coventry or take any protective measures. Germany attacked with three hundred bombers, killing over five hundred people, destroying tens of thousands of homes and a medieval cathedral. Dpbsmith 12:24, 1 January 2007 (EST)

Dpbsmith describes the dilemma extremely well. I've been meaning to add an entry on the Enigma, and hope to do so this afternoon.

I don't have a definite view about how to solve this dilemma. It's a good topic for debate and discussion. What's your view, Dpbsmith?

I do think it's clear that Roosevelt had advance warning of the Pearl Harbor attack, by the way. I think we may have moved one key aircraft carrier or battleship out of the way (moving more ships would have tipped the Japanese). Also, simply radar would have given us an hour's notice, and 2,400 sailors need not have died unless as a gambit for a greater objective.--Aschlafly 13:28, 1 January 2007 (EST)

I thought the incoming Japanese aircraft were seen on radar, but the radar operator couldn't believe they were really being attacked and misidentified them as an expected flight of incoming B17's? Dpbsmith 17:42, 1 January 2007 (EST)

Boy, that sounds very odd! But you may be right, and I have not researched this further.--Aschlafly 17:44, 1 January 2007 (EST)

Don't you think it would be good if you research these things BEFORE you present them as fact?

--Chris 11:18, 31 January 2007 (EST)

Mr. Schlafly, DPBSmith is right about the Japanese bombers appearing on the American radar screen. (Air Raid- Pearl Harbor!) American leaders, even those in the military, did not believe that an initial Japanese attack would come on Pearl Harbor. They believed such an attack would come on the Philippines, Wake Island, or Midway Island. As a matter of fact, the US carriers Lexington and Enterprise were ferrying F4F Wildcat fighter planes to further fortify Midway and Wake. Even the Secretary of War did not believe the news when it reached him. He exclaimed, "This can't be true! This must mean the Philippines!" --DuncanB 14:39, 9 January 2007 (EST)