Remembering Pearl Harbor

Sam said:
there was fighting in the following places besides Europe: East Africa, British Somaliland, Iraq (pretty sure they aren't part of Europe ), Syria, Persia (that'd be Iran now of course - also pretty sure they aren't European ), North Africa, Malaya, and SE Asia.
Click to expand...

Technically, you're correct. Those place are however on the same piece of earth. We've seperated them but if you started walking south from Bulgaria or the Ukraine, you'd not know when you passed form North to South, without signs.

Americans are fully aware the war began long before we got involved. We were following much of the advice of today (stay out of it). Look where it got us.

As I pointed out in the other thread, Dec 7 1941 was the day America became a superpower on the worlds stage. We were only providing material support. Blame the Japanese for who we are today.

BTW-you have too many letters in HARBOR :p
 
Gonz said:
Technically, you're correct. Those place are however on the same piece of earth. We've seperated them but if you started walking south from Bulgaria or the Ukraine, you'd not know when you passed form North to South, without signs.
Click to expand...
I'm aware of this. The point is that it was claimed (and I know not by you, Gonz) that the war was 'by and large' confined to Europe - not 'to one land mass'.
There are what, 3 of the 5 continents covered in that list?
If you include those that sent men to fight, every single continent was involved. Kinda fits the definition of a 'world war' to me.
Not quite the same thing as 'just europe'...

I also don't see how the fact that they are the same land mass is really relevant anyway. If Mexico are at war, would it still be 'just a technicality' to you, whether the US were involved?

BTW-you have too many letters in HARBOR :p
Click to expand...
Nope, just checked my dictionary and there's definitely a 'u' in there too :p :D
 
See, even your dictionaries are overwhelmed

Main Entry: 1har·bor
Pronunciation: 'här-b&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English herberge, herberwe, from Old English herebeorg military quarters, from here army (akin to Old High German heri) + beorg refuge; akin to Old English burg fortified town -- more at HARRY, BOROUGH
Date: 12th century
1 : a place of security and comfort : REFUGE
2 : a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage; especially : one with port facilities
- har·bor·ful /-"ful/ noun
- har·bor·less /-l&s/ adjective
Click to expand...
 
"By and large" means "mostly." I'm fully aware that there was fighting in other parts of the world. But most of the fighting was in Europe. Remember that next time you try to act like I'm stupid and like I have no grasp of world history.

Eric, Midway was a battle between the Japanese and the Americans. It would be kind of hard for us to consider Pearl Harbor the start of America's military involvement in the war if we'd had a major military battle before then. Pearl Harbor was Dec. 7, 1941, Midway was June 4-7, 1942.
 
true but i wasnt aware of when it was fought. i never learned too much on it if anything. i really only knew it was on the pacific and it was a battle between America and Japan. other than that i knew nothing hence i did ask. thanks for clearing it up
 
Inkara1 said:
"By and large" means "mostly." I'm fully aware that there was fighting in other parts of the world. But most of the fighting was in Europe. Remember that next time you try to act like I'm stupid and like I have no grasp of world history.
Click to expand...
It was not in the least an attempt to make anyone look stupid. I do have a right however to point out the truth without being accused of doing it from malicious motives.

Note that when I missed a country off and AT pointed it out, I accepted that my education was lacking, not that I was being accused of stupidity.

You claimed that the war pre-Pearl Harbour was 'mostly' restricted to one continent and therefore wasn't a 'world' war. I pointed out that it did in fact involve every continent, and so it was a World War.

If you really believe that all the fighting of note was in Europe, involving Europeans then either your education was lacking, or you have just dismissed the relevance of the lives and homeplaces of thousands of people - many of whom laid down their lives for us. I'm not prepared to accept that just to protect your ego.

Sam.
 
Sam said:
It was not in the least an attempt to make anyone look stupid. I do have a right however to point out the truth without being accused of doing it from malicious motives.

Note that when I missed a country off and AT pointed it out, I accepted that my education was lacking, not that I was being accused of stupidity.

You claimed that the war pre-Pearl Harbour was 'mostly' restricted to one continent and therefore wasn't a 'world' war. I pointed out that it did in fact involve every continent, and so it was a World War.

If you really believe that all the fighting of note was in Europe, involving Europeans then either your education was lacking, or you have just dismissed the relevance of the lives and homeplaces of thousands of people - many of whom laid down their lives for us. I'm not prepared to accept that just to protect your ego.

Sam.
Click to expand...

Just to slow this brouhaha down a bit, Inkara never stated that the only fighting was in Europe. Just most of it. ;)

BTW...there is no "u" in the word HARBOR. :grinyes:
 
On a side note the most complete dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary. It lists both words though "harbor" is noted to be an americanisation of the original word "harbour". If you are willing to acccept current usage as being the only definition of correct thhen both are correct, if you want the original word then Sam is right. If you want to argue that if it isn't from the US it is wrong by definition then you are right, which does kind of seem to be the whole point of this thread...

I love etymology :D
 
To clear up the Harbor/Harbour controversy, Pearl Harbor was named by the Americans. That makes "Harbor" correct in that usage. Any place with that word in its name named by the British (or any other country that spells it with a "u") would be correctly spelled by anyone in any country with the "u." The only controversy for that usage would be when it is a noun that's not a proper name. "Look, there's a ship in the harbor/harbour," as opposed to, "look, there's a ship in Pearl Harbor."
 
freako104 said:
true but i wasnt aware of when it was fought. i never learned too much on it if anything. i really only knew it was on the pacific and it was a battle between America and Japan. other than that i knew nothing hence i did ask. thanks for clearing it up
Click to expand...

Actually, Great Britain and Australia were heavily involved until the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk on December 10.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top