HBO's The Pacific

[sa226]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Getting men in his company needlessly killed?

I liked his character as well, but after watching him and the members of Dog company take the 3rd gun on Day of Days - I dont think anyone would want to be like Spears.

That particular scene was changed a bit to portray his assumed reckless behaviour. The real reason he left the trench leading up to the gun was that the trenches surrounding that gun were lined with balls of barbed wire. He had to leave it if he wanted to take the gun.

[Magnum PEI]

I'm officially boycotting this show. What the hell were Americans doing in Hawaii and the Philippines? How did they aquire these "territories?" I'd like to see Spielberg make a TV show on that subject.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

I'm officially boycotting this show. What the hell were Americans doing in Hawaii and the Philippines? How did they aquire these "territories?" I'd like to see Spielberg make a TV show on that subject.

Get over it.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

(Incidentally, the British lost the aircraft carrier Ark Royal in their pursuit of the Bismark. Submarine attack.)


Cowperson

I'll correct myself . . . . the Ark Royal was lost to submarine attack some months after the Bismark was sunk.

It was actually aircraft from the Ark Royal which damaged the Bismark and set in motion it's final moments. Five of the obsolete biplanes were damaged, one beyond repair. No other casualties.

Earlier in the chase, Swordfish, the same obsolete biplanes, from the Illustrious had damaged the Bismark, reopening a hole in it's bow and slowing it's speed.

Captain Crunch's Star Wars analogy aside, it's not inconceivable the British battleships could have stood aside and let the Swordfish continue to have repeated torpedo runs at the Bismark. Ala Billy Mitchell's famed experiment in the mid-war years, they would have eventually succeeded. Time was of the essence though, the Germans might have got their poop together and mounted a rescue by then.

Cowperson

[CaptainCrunch]

Thanks for the videos, there's just something classic and beautiful and intimidating about the look of a battleship that you just don't get with a carrier or a destroyer or a cruiser.

They looked like they were meant to control and dominate the sea.

[Pastiche]

But modern era battleships never actually dominated the sea. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the only significant modern era battleship battles take place in the American Civil war?

[LeatherFace]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

But modern era battleships never actually dominated the sea. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the only significant modern era battleship battles take place in the American Civil war?

The last and probably the greatest naval battle at sea involving modern battleships was at Jutland during WWI, between the British Grand Fleet and German High Seas Fleet. There were a couple of other major naval engagements during the Japan-Russian war as well, but Jutland was the largest I believe.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

But modern era battleships never actually dominated the sea. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the only significant modern era battleship battles take place in the American Civil war?

Battles between Fleets of modern battleships were actually quite rare. You might want to check out the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo Japanese War, the Battle of Jutland during the First World War (the largest ever engagement between all big gun battle fleets) and the Battle of Leyte Gulf during the Second World War (the largest sea battle ever, which saw the last engagement in history between battleships, at Surigao Strait). The American Civil War saw the first engagement between armoured vessels, at the Battle of Hampton Roads. That battle featured Ironclads, which evolved in succeeding decades into modern battleships. Battleships were incredibly expensive, and navies didn't like risking them in full scale line of battle engagements.

[CaptainCrunch]

Probably the last battle that had battleships slugging it out was the battle of Surigao strait where the West Viginia, Georgia and California slugged it out with Yamishiro hitting it with something like 60 16 inch rounds.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

I'm officially boycotting this show. What the hell were Americans doing in Hawaii and the Philippines? How did they aquire these "territories?" I'd like to see Spielberg make a TV show on that subject.

Suit yourself. It was called "imperialism" which was practiced by the US, Great Britain, France,Germany,Spain,Belgium,The Netherlands,Japan, and any other nation which acquired colonies over the last few centuries. Why should Spielberg need to explain this? This miniseries, like Band of Brothers, is about the horror of war and how it affected those tasked with fighting it. Were these men any less brave because they came from countries with questionable foreign policies? Other than blind hatred of all things American, I don't understand your argument.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

I'm officially boycotting this show. What the hell were Americans doing in Hawaii and the Philippines? How did they aquire these "territories?" I'd like to see Spielberg make a TV show on that subject.

What do we need to do to get you to boycott Calgarypuck.

Maybe I can convince Bingo to set up a sweatshop using young children as conduits to increase bandwidth while paying them .75 s day.

Or better yet, maybe we can illegally take HF.com while using their posters as cheap slave labor.

Let me know and we'll get right on it.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

Suit yourself. It was called "imperialism" which was practiced by the US, Great Britain, France,Germany,Spain,Belgium,The Netherlands,Japan, and any other nation which acquired colonies over the last few centuries. Why should Spielberg need to explain this? This miniseries, like Band of Brothers, is about the horror of war and how it affected those tasked with fighting it. Were these men any less brave because they came from countries with questionable foreign policies? Other than blind hatred of all things American, I don't understand your argument.

You're not actually condoning colonialism are you? Are you familiar with the American occupation of the The Philippines? It wasn't a bunch of men traipsing around the jungle in pith helmets taming savages. (Btw, I would add Canada to your list of Colonial powers. The prairies were as much a colony as India or Jamaica). I guess my argument is why should I watch a show about Americans fighting a war against a nation that did exactly the same thing America did 40 years earlier.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

What do we need to do to get you to boycott Calgarypuck.

Maybe I can convince Bingo to set up a sweatshop using young children as conduits to increase bandwidth while paying them .75 s day.

Or better yet, maybe we can illegally take HF.com while using their posters as cheap slave labor.

Let me know and we'll get right on it.

If only America resorted to just these measures. But to make it appropriate, you'd have to kill a percentage of the posters outright and bomb their cities to rubble.

[Knut]

guess my ancestors should have stayed in Norway and England instead of "colonizing" the praries. I now feel guilty for enjoying this show. Packing my bags as we speak and moving back to Norway. Oh wait... The neanderthals might have been there first. Better go right back to the trees of Ethiopia.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

You're not actually condoning colonialism are you? Are you familiar with the American occupation of the The Philippines? It wasn't a bunch of men traipsing around the jungle in pith helmets taming savages. (Btw, I would add Canada to your list of Colonial powers. The prairies were as much a colony as India or Jamaica). I guess my argument is why should I watch a show about Americans fighting a war against a nation that did exactly the same thing America did 40 years earlier.

Where exactly did I condone colonialism? I merely stated that it happened, a lot. I follow history, of course I know how the Americans were in the Phillippines, just like the Spanish before them, engaging in empire building. I live in a country founded by Colonialists. I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for that. What is your point? You are condemning a production featuring persons caught up in an immense conflict not of their own making. So what if the great wars of the twentieth century came about becuase of political decisions occurring in many cases before they were actually born? Maybe todays generations can reflect upon the horror and waste depicted here and actually take some of it to heart, perhaps even learn about what led to the war. And I am also expecting to be entertained, maybe for a few short moments I might imagine myself being part of these gruesome battles. Absolutely no apologies for that either. You are making a lame biased political judgement based on flawed logic.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Hesla

guess my ancestors should have stayed in Norway and England instead of "colonizing" the praries. I now feel guilty for enjoying this show. Packing my bags as we speak and moving back to Norway. Oh wait... The neanderthals might have been there first. Better go right back to the trees of Ethiopia.

You do realize there were people living here before your ancestors came, right? What do think happened to them and their way of life?

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

Where exactly did I condone colonialism? You stated some of the nations that I merely stated that it happened, a lot. I follow history, of course I know how the Americans were in the Phillippines, just like the Spanish before them, engaging in empire building. I live in a country founded by Colonialists. I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for that.

That is the definition of condoning. You don't care that nations invade, dupe, and swindle other nations. That means you condone it.

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

I follow history, of course I know how the Americans were in the Phillippines, just like the Spanish before them, engaging in empire building.

Really? Empire building includes genocide? I guess if you're America and My Lai massacres are standard procedures, then yes apparently.

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

What is your point? You are condemning a production featuring persons caught up in an immense conflict not of their own making. So what if the great wars of the twentieth century came about becuase of political decisions occurring in many cases before they were actually born? Maybe todays generations can reflect upon the horror and waste depicted here and actually take some of it to heart, perhaps even learn about what led to the war. And I am also expecting to be entertained, maybe for a few short moments I might imagine myself being part of these gruesome battles. Absolutely no apologies for that either. You are making a lame biased political judgement based on flawed logic.

Yes, what did lead to the war? Was it Pearl Harbour, or American sanctions preventing Japan from obtaining steel, rubber and oil?

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

You do realize there were people living here before your ancestors came, right? What do think happened to them and their way of life?

Well if I had a time machine I could change it.

Enjoy the life you have and respect the people our ancestors displaced, but don't you dare give a guilt trip about something that happened in the past. I had no control over it.

Past colonialism is a fact. Nothing can change that. Deal with it. If you are passionate about this maybe you should spend your life promoting aboriginal rights and ending the reserve system in Canada. Or you coul keep posting from your pedestal with the words "moral", with a backwards r, written on the side with a crayon.

Enjoy your boycott ######-bag

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

That is the definition of condoning. You don't care that nations invade, dupe, and swindle other nations. That means you condone it. Really? Empire building includes genocide? I guess if you're America and My Lai massacres are standard procedures, then yes apparently.
Yes, what did lead to the war? Was it Pearl Harbour, or American sanctions preventing Japan from obtaining steel, rubber and oil?

Which was a response to Japanese imperialism in south east Asia.

Or did you forget that fact?

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Hesla

Well if I had a time machine I could change it.

Enjoy the life you have and respect the people our ancestors displaced, but don't you dare give a guilt trip about something that happened in the past. I had no control over it.

Past colonialism is a fact. Nothing can change that. Deal with it. If you are passionate about this maybe you should spend your life promoting aboriginal rights and ending the reserve system in Canada. Or you coul keep posting from your pedestal with the words "moral", with a backwards r, written on the side with a crayon.

Enjoy your boycott ######-bag

Easy now, I didn't know ######-bag was a compound word, but thinking about it, I suppose it would be. Anyways, I will enjoy my boycott by watcing the Wire, which attempts to point out society's flaws, while The Pacific (I'm assuming)portrays American farmboys liberating far off places for the greater good of the World.