A People&#039;s War

Germany invaded Soviet Russia
1. Communists called it a "people's war"
  1. described the war between the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers as an imperialist war
    1. Most popular war the US had ever fought
US and the war
1. 18 million served in the armed forces
  1. 10 million overseas, 25 million workers gave of their pay envelope regularly for war bonds
    1. War against unspeakable evil
2. Generally in the past tried to hold a closed door policy
  1. We see them sticking noise in other country's business like Cuba and Spain, etc.
    1. But by 1935, over half of US steel and cotton exports were being sold in Latin America
3. When US entered into World War II, was to defend the principle of nonintervention in the affairs of other countries
  1. This just seems so deceitful that there always have to be ulterior motives
4. US is a democracy that upholds liberties
  1. Some speculate we treat blacks as bad as Hitler as Jews
    1. I definitely would not go that far at all
      1. I completely disagree with that statement
  2. We want Germany to stop treating Jews like animals
5. After the war Roosevelt did not view anti-semitism and protecting Jews a high priority
  1. This topic was left cold
    1. How disgusting is this that we can't even take action to help
Hitler
1. Evil man
  1. Germany was extending beyond totalitarianism, racism, militarism, and overt aggressive warfare
2. Preached anti-semitism
  1. Immense hate towards Jews
3. US had done little throughout the '30s to stop him
  1. We just appeased Hitler like England and France
    1. US was hesitant to publicly criticize his anti-semitic policies
4. Attacks Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland
  1. This did not even fully bring the US into the war
    1. What did was the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor
      1. It wasnt loss of life that triggered this, but the attack on the American Pacific Empire
      2. We must treat citizens like HUMANS not just chess pieces
Mussolini- Italy
1. Invaded Ethiopia in 1935
  1. This is when US declared an embargo on munitions, but let Italy receive oil
    1. Always profit is the motive
Pearl Harbor
1. Situation was presented to the American public as a sudden, shocking, immoral act
  1. Japan's strike , in reality, culminated a series of of mutually antagonistic acts
    1. So we just lie to our citizens to gain public support?
2. After Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese hysteria began to spread
  1. FDR signed Executive Order 9066
    1. Giving army the power without warrants or hearings to arrest every Japanese American and take them from homes and put them in camps
      1. Prison like conditions
      2. This is insane that this actually happened
      3. Imagine seeing the Holocaust and then doing the same exact thing
      4. US is a country embedded in racism, so should this even surprise me...
Motives for imperialistic gain
1. Behind closed doors and headlines, American diplomats and businessmen worked hard to make sure our economic power was "weakened"
  1. This is how our drive for oil began in the Middle East
    1. Saudi Arabia was largest oil pool in the Middle East
      1. Roosevelt writes to Ibn Saud promising the US would not change its Palestine policy without consulting the Arabs
2. Economic profit and gain is main goal
  1. in 1940 US sends large amounts of war supplies to France and England
    1. Government contracted for scientific research in industry during the war , 400 million went to 10 large corporations
Creation of the IMF- International Monetary Fund
1. Purpose was to regulate international exchanges of currency
  1. Voting would be proportional to capital contributed
    1. American dominance would be ensured
2. Also United Nations was created
  1. Presented to the world as international cooperation to prevent future wars
    1. Dominated by Western imperial powers like US, England, France
      1. It's truly sickening to read all of this
Racism exists in US
1. US Troops separated by race
  1. Blacks mistreated and stowed down on bottom of ships
    1. The red cross separate black blood
      1. Ironically Charles Drew was a black man and developed this blood bank system
2. Urgent need for labor, yet blacks still being discriminated against for jobs
  1. This makes 0 sense to me
  2. Roosevelt never enforced the orders of the Fair Employment Practices Commission he had set up
    1. Seems pretty hypocritical to me
After the war
1. Strikes continued in record numbers
  1. Workers frustrated by freezing of wages
2. Some were extremely patriotic, others dissaproved
  1. More than 43,000 refused to show up for the draft
    1. This of course is illegal
3. Blacks- hostility, indifference
  1. Some leaders wanted to mobilize their sentiments
    1. Army only lets them serve as "messmen"
      1. We use them to our benefit, then dump them
4. "Cold war"
  1. Tense situation with Soviet Union
    1. Presented the situation as an immediate threat
      1. Establishes a climate of fear
      2. Hysteria about communism
5. Us moves into Greek civil war
  1. With weapons and military advisors
    1. Sent in tons of military equiptment
      1. Like artillery, bombs, ec.
      2. US continued to provide economic and military aid to Greeks
6. Korea divided into South and North
  1. Divided by spheres of influence
    1. North- Soviet, South-american
      1. It's like used as a chess piece
      2. Divided across 38th parallel
      3. 2 millions Koreans died in this Korean war
7. Truman doctrine
  1. initiating a program to search out any infiltration of disloyal persons in the US government
    1. Senator McCarthy claimed he had a list of many people who were communists in the State department
      1. This was sure to create unjustified hysteria
      2. John F Kennedy was cautious on this issue
  2. Stretches the clear and present danger card
8. American civil liberties union set up
  1. Defended liberties of communists and all other political groups
    1. Young and old were taught that anti-communism was heroic
9. 1960- Military budget was 40 billion
  1. We need to be focusing on education system and public works instead of war
  2. When Kennedy was elected he added to this number
    1. We gave the false pretense that they had a missle, yet the US has higher capability
      1. Spew out misinformation for public support of a fake cause
    2. By 1970- US military budget was 80 billion
      1. Military in a sense became part of the new elite
      2. Foreign aid now became a way for countries not to fall to communism
      3. This sounds so familiar...
      4. We even send military, Like in Lebanon, to make sure pro-American government is not overthrown
10. Castro and Cuba
  1. We had Platt amendment
    1. Permits US intervention in cUBA
      1. Castro moved to set up public education system nationwide, housing, lands to peasants
      2. However Cuba needs money to fund these programs
  2. Bay of Pigs
    1. CIA crushed by Cubans
      1. Lasted only 3 days
11. Air raid shelters
  1. Try to protect self and perform drills so safe from bomb
    1. Country was a permanent war economy
      1. Aggressive foreign policy
Differing Ideologies
1. Very hard to find peace when there is capitalism, facism, communism, etc
  1. Congress passes Smith Act
    1. Takes place of Espionage Act
      1. Prohibits talk or writings that would lead to military refusal
      2. By 1943 18 members of socialist workers party were convicted for belonging to a party similar to Communist Manifesto principles
      3. Sentenced to prison terms
      4. Jail people for not supporting your ideas?
2. We claim it's a "people's war" yet all that is occurring is deaths of civilians
Atomic Bomb
1. Dropped bomb over Tokyo- killed 80,000
  1. Dropped second bomb over Hiroshima
    1. Over 100 k dead
      1. Died of radiation poisining
      2. Another bomb over Nagasaki
      3. So many dead, sick, and injured
      4. This is NOT acceptable
      5. Justified these killings by saying the war would end quickly
      6. There are alternative ways to deal with this
2. Strategic Bombing Survey
  1. Picked Hiroshima and Nagasaki because of concentrations of activities and populations
    1. Sounds like wanted to kill as many as possible
Prosecution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
1. Charged with espionage
  1. Major evidence supplied by a few people who had already confessed to being spies
    1. The evidence was skewed and came from a not credible source
      1. Yet, sentenced the two to die in an electric chair
      2. How is this even possible?
      3. We can't just kill people because they are a "threat"