Today, I’m thankful for those who choose to no longer stand on the sidelines.
The great Roman statesman and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero – better known simply as Cicero – once cautioned his Roman brethren about the lessons of the past: “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”
Cicero had every reason to conjure up the past. You see, late in his life, he witnessed the fall in power of the Roman Republic with the simultaneous dictatorial rise of Julius Caesar. During this tumultuous period, Cicero tried in vain to uphold the fundamental principles of the Republic, even turning down an invitation from Caesar to join the First Triumvirate. Bearing witness to the meteoric rise of Caesar (in 49 BC) and his gradual, calculated move towards a totalitarian state, Cicero became a vocal opponent of the First Roman Emperor. He ultimately turned to public oration and ‘the power of the pen’ to expound a view of the traditional, Republican principles set forth by their Roman ancestors.
Even with Caesar’s unceremonious downfall (in 44 BC) and the chaotic aftermath that ensued, Cicero found himself in a power struggle with the Second Triumvirate, led by Marc Antony. He publicly criticized Antony in a series of 14 speeches. As a result, he found himself surrounded by powerful enemies. Unfortunately, on this day (Dec 7) in 43 BC, Cicero was intercepted by a cadre of Antony’s soldiers in Formia, Italy, where he was brutally assassinated at the behest of the ruling party. Cicero’s legacy is one of a suave statesman, a quintessential master of Latin prose, and a revered martyr of the Roman Republic. His plethora of writings against the First and Second Triumvirate had one clear intention in mind: to ‘awake the sleeping giant’ of the Roman populace, who sat idly as these dictators seized the control from the people.
Cicero’s warnings were founded on the knowledge of the past. If a nation was willing to sit idly and ignore the changing world around it, it might one day find itself subject to a similar fate of being ruled by dictators. These lessons have rung true through time.
After the Great War ended in 1918, the United States found itself in a somewhat similar precarious position. The memory of having been drawn into World War I, wherein many Americans would lose their lives fighting for a cause not immediate to their own, was not easily forgotten. A fervent position of isolationism swept through the country, even as global unrest ensued with the expanding militaristic reach of Hitler’s Third Reich in Germany, Mussolini’s fascist regime in Italy, and Tojo’s imperialistic mandate in Japan. As the United States watched from the sidelines for nearly three years (between early 1939 through late 1941), the Axis powers slowly conquered most of the European, Northern African, and Asian theaters.
At the time, the island nation of Japan was particularly reliant on resources outside of its homeland. They needed supplies and materials from places like China, Korea, and other surrounding nations to ensure their own survival and imperialistic expansion. Following repeated attacks of neighboring nations in the Asia Pacific region, the United States placed strict embargos on the export of raw materials, such as oil, to Japan. So, Japan turned its eye on the resource-rich Dutch East Indes (now known as Indonesia); yet, they were worried that the United States would intercede with a naval blockage, especially in Philippines, which at that time remained under American control and was strategically situated directly between Japan and the Dutch East Indes. So, Japan’s leaders opted to cripple the vast American naval fleet, much of which was situated in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The belief was that this aggressive ‘preventative attack’ would afford Japan the time it needed to secure invasion and establish a stronghold in the resource-rich regions in the South Pacific. The belief was also predicated on the notion that the anti-war sentiment in the United States was so robust that American retaliation was unlikely.
For nearly a year, the Japanese prepared for a surprise attack against the naval base on the island of O’ahu with more than 350 planes and 5 midget submarines. Their intent was to destroy the 3 aircraft carriers, while also laying waste to the heralded battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and other ancillary ships stationed in the shallow waters outside of Honolulu. On this day (Dec 7), Japan attacked before 8 AM. By sheer luck, the 3 aircraft carriers were out to sea on military drills, so the prized target was rendered unavailable. That said, Japan would hit all 8 battleships in ‘Battleship Row’, sinking 4 of them. Numerous other destroyers, cruisers, and anti-aircraft carrier ships would also be sunk, beached, or severely damaged. More than 185 American aircraft were also destroyed. But, most importantly, over 2,400 American patriots lost their lives defending Pearl Harbor in Hawaii – with nearly half falling victim on the USS Arizona battleship, after a torpedo detonated a magazine, resulting in a massive explosion and fireball.
Unfortunately for Prime Minister Tojo and his imperialistic regime, the impact at Pearl Harbor was not what they had envisioned. For one thing, all of the ships, except for the USS Arizona, were eventually lifted, repaired, and placed back into service. Curiously, Japan opted not to hit the adjacent naval repair yards, thereby allowing a rapid return of these ships into action. Most importantly, the attack awoke the ‘sleeping giant’ of a nation, which immediately responded with a declaration of war against Japan. In due time, the Allied alliance would lead a fierce attack against the island nation and secure the victory.
Yet, the memory of this 'infamous' day should be a stark reminder that our military personnel risk their lives each and every day so we can enjoy the luxuries of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This day should also remind us of the perils of isolationism. In our current world where many countries are trending towards a greater sense of nationalism, let's never forget that life on Earth will be better if we stand united, as one species.
As Cicero warned, we can never be ignorant of the past. Sometimes you just can’t stand on the sidelines.
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