President Duterte calls US to return Balangiga bells

[Reboot]

15 hours ago, mogo51 said:

 

I have never quite understood the 'restitutions' claimed by US after WW2.  US did not enter the conflict until Pearl Harbour and continued trading with Nazi Regime until then.  UK was an ally and was getting the crap bombed out of them.  

What trade there was, was very little after the start of the war, ocean going trade being curtailed, and ended definitively after Pearl Harbor when the US officially entered. At the same time, the United States was busy arming the UK via the Lend Lease Act ahead of its own entry in the war. Before that, it was the Cash And Carry program started in 1939.

As for "restitution", I have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps you are talking about repayment made on debts incurred?

Quote

 

From the day the war started, Australia as a former British Colony, sent many thousands of troops to Europe, UK and Asia, lots of them were killed.  We never asked for any payments.

 

The US is not part of the British commonwealth system. On our side, we never paid Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of our own, for the thousands of soldiers that took part in the war.

[mogo51]

7 hours ago, Reboot said:

What trade there was, was very little after the start of the war, ocean going trade being curtailed, and ended definitively after Pearl Harbor when the US officially entered. At the same time, the United States was busy arming the UK via the Lend Lease Act ahead of its own entry in the war. Before that, it was the Cash And Carry program started in 1939.

As for "restitution", I have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps you are talking about repayment made on debts incurred?

The US is not part of the British commonwealth system. On our side, we never paid Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of our own, for the thousands of soldiers that took part in the war.

I am very aware that US is not part of the Commonwealth, but the actions of Nazi Germany leading up to declaration of War against various European countries, invasion, repeated breaches of agreements during 'peace' discussions, should have been enough for US to realise the real German agenda.  

It seems that the US view rightly or wrongly, was 'well its not affecting us so we will just trade on with Germany'.  Whilst US did indeed 'arm by way of sale UK', it was having an each way bet by still trading with Germany,  was a very unwise decision IMO and that of the allies engaged at that time in the fight against Germany.  UK, France, others all continually implored US to join them in the war.  IMO that may have reduced the period of conflict but that is problematical I suppose.  the US  was always going to be an eventual target in the war at some point.

All countries were guilty of 'pussy footing' with Germany allowing it to gain strength very quickly, so this is not an attack on US, just a discussion. Reparations were sought after the war by Allies but there was not much left in the tank when Germany was defeated.

It is widely agreed that  Without the eventual entry of the US, the result would no doubt have been different IMO.  A plus side has been a strong alliance between US and Australia since WW2.  I remember my Dad telling me how the US forces after the war offered to build a 2 lane dual highway between Melbourne/Sydney (1000km) for $10m US.  Australia was broke and population depleted and they declined stupidly.  The road was only completed in recent years at the cost of Billions $$$ - smart politicians.

The fact that Japan was the catalyst that had that happen is rather ironic.  I often wonder what the result would have been if Japan had entered WW2 earlier, but they  were tied up fighting China if I remember my history properly?  We might have all been speaking German or Japanese?

It seems a  similar situation is unfolding in Nth Korea, if this imbecile is allowed to keep going, it might be all on again.  I hope not.

[Reboot]

5 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

I am very aware that US is not part of the Commonwealth, but the actions of Nazi Germany leading up to declaration of War against various European countries, invasion, repeated breaches of agreements during 'peace' discussions, should have been enough for US to realise the real German agenda.  

It seems that the US view rightly or wrongly, was 'well its not affecting us so we will just trade on with Germany'.  Whilst US did indeed 'arm by way of sale UK', it was having an each way bet by still trading with Germany,  was a very unwise decision IMO and that of the allies engaged at that time in the fight against Germany.  UK, France, others all continually implored US to join them in the war.  IMO that may have reduced the period of conflict but that is problematical I suppose.  the US  was always going to be an eventual target in the war at some point.

All countries were guilty of 'pussy footing' with Germany allowing it to gain strength very quickly, so this is not an attack on US, just a discussion. Reparations were sought after the war by Allies but there was not much left in the tank when Germany was defeated.

It is widely agreed that  Without the eventual entry of the US, the result would no doubt have been different IMO.  A plus side has been a strong alliance between US and Australia since WW2.  I remember my Dad telling me how the US forces after the war offered to build a 2 lane dual highway between Melbourne/Sydney (1000km) for $10m US.  Australia was broke and population depleted and they declined stupidly.  The road was only completed in recent years at the cost of Billions $$$ - smart politicians.

The fact that Japan was the catalyst that had that happen is rather ironic.  I often wonder what the result would have been if Japan had entered WW2 earlier, but they  were tied up fighting China if I remember my history properly?  We might have all been speaking German or Japanese?

It seems a  similar situation is unfolding in Nth Korea, if this imbecile is allowed to keep going, it might be all on again.  I hope not.

After WW1 which many Americans (rightly) thought the country should have never gotten into, a stupid European squabble that enriched industrialists but put boys in coffins, well the last thing people wanted was to get involved in another one. And getting into WW1 probably made Germany capitulate instead on awful terms, rather than a more honorable end to the war, which is one of the things that helped set up the sequel a couple of decades later. In the 1930s, the people of this country wanted, for the most part, neutrality, and damn everyone on the other side of the pond and their stupidity. It took Pearl Harbor to tip things the other way.

[mogo51]

1 hour ago, Reboot said:

After WW1 which many Americans (rightly) thought the country should have never gotten into, a stupid European squabble that enriched industrialists but put boys in coffins, well the last thing people wanted was to get involved in another one. And getting into WW1 probably made Germany capitulate instead on awful terms, rather than a more honorable end to the war, which is one of the things that helped set up the sequel a couple of decades later. In the 1930s, the people of this country wanted, for the most part, neutrality, and damn everyone on the other side of the pond and their stupidity. It took Pearl Harbor to tip things the other way.

Yes agreed, have read that assessment in the history books.  But the same applied to the people of Europe, UK, Commonwealth countries.  But the Australian Government saw the danger clouds and  added to our Commonwealth obligations, off our soldiers went, many never to return.  The same as US soldiers and all allies. 

Australia was still recovering from WW1 and the Great Depression.  When I was born in 1951 there was only 7m  people in Australia!  If we look around the world, little has seemingly been learned about the the futility of war.  We have a WW3, it is just scattered all over the planet.

[scott h]

9 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

US to realise the real German agenda

Very True Mogo, as they say hindsight (and historians) are 20.20. But those were different times, FDR realized the threat of dictator regimes of the day, but Americans as a whole were very isolationist. Just coming out of the depression, still reeling from WW1 (even though we did not suffer near as much as the European powers.) Just like today, Yanks are a very strange breed, until actually effects their personal pride or own personal little world they just want to be left alone. The political leaders might realize the danger, but the folks don't care.

examples:

Wilson wanted to stop ww1 but the folks didn't want to get involved. The Germans sank the Lusitania and that was enough to whip up the folks

FDR the same until pearl harbor

global terrorism, not our problem! Until 9/11 that is.

Spanish American war? totally invented by the Hearst newspapers "remember the Maine"

We even almost got into a shooting war with Canada. I forget the battle call 40 40 or bust or something like that

Even today most yanks are "leave me alone" until they get punched in the nose lol

 

[Reboot]

19 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

Yes agreed, have read that assessment in the history books.  But the same applied to the people of Europe, UK, Commonwealth countries.  But the Australian Government saw the danger clouds and  added to our Commonwealth obligations, off our soldiers went, many never to return.  The same as US soldiers and all allies. 

Australia was still recovering from WW1 and the Great Depression.  When I was born in 1951 there was only 7m  people in Australia!  If we look around the world, little has seemingly been learned about the the futility of war.  We have a WW3, it is just scattered all over the planet.

Only 7m. Amazing. Lots of land. Warm climate. Why do you guys even emigrate? Even the native women should tend to make you stay. 

[mogo51]

1 hour ago, Reboot said:

Only 7m. Amazing. Lots of land. Warm climate. Why do you guys even emigrate? Even the native women should tend to make you stay. 

This is one of the good looking ones.

[Snowy79]

48 minutes ago, Reboot said:

Only 7m. Amazing. Lots of land. Warm climate. Why do you guys even emigrate? Even the native women should tend to make you stay. 

Bet she was a looker until she hit 18. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by Snowy79

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 hours ago, scott h said:

We even almost got into a shooting war with Canada.

5 times

http://www.everseradio.com/top-five-wars-between-the-us-and-canada/

[CoffeeRulzMe]

On 8/10/2017 at 0:08 AM, not so old china hand said:

Ah yes... But  that was in response to the US forces burning the Parliament Building; and (shock horror) a library; in Upper Canada following the Battle of York. So I think we should let bygones be bygones.

Ah, this is a fun game; cause and effect.  My turn... think I'll jump back to  THE STAMP ACT OF 1765.