Keenan, no idea if you know me. Not sure what you mean about a profile either.

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A post by John Campbell at Townhall.com:

Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Deficit Spending for Guam Reparations?
Posted by: John Campbell at 2:14 PM

This afternoon, the House will be voting on a bill known as the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. It will authorize $126 million in reparations to the residents of Guam who suffered during WWII at the hands of the Japanese. The bill will also authorize $5 million for a new grant program for research, educational, and media activities that memorialize the events surrounding the occupation of Guam.

I have no doubt that the good people of Guam faced great adversity during the Japanese occupation, and I wish we could have liberated the island sooner than 1944. But, I cannot figure it out for the life of me, why our government should be giving these residents a check as an apology for something that we didn’t even do.

I am especially opposed to this idea when one considers that our national debt is nearing $9 trillion. Our budgetary deficit is $337 billion. Medicare’s trust fund is projected to be completely exhausted in 12 years and Social Security is slated to be broke by 2041.

It does not take a CPA to realize that these are very stark figures that need to be addressed. We need to prioritize spending not just continue throwing money at everything that comes across our desk.

If wealth were an infinite well, there are many “feel-good” causes to spend money on. But haven’t so many Bush critics been bellyaching about the federal spending?

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Curt, I was wondering if I knew you. I can’t see your profile and am just going on what I read of your beliefs here.

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I just want to know if Nancy Pelosi’s husband has business interests on Guam that will benefit as a result of this late largesse?

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Well let’s see… I’m fairly certain that the American government provided assistance to people of Ohio who were adversely affected by the British Invasion from Canada during the War of 1812.

Ok John, obviously your reading comprehension is below average or you would have understood my point by now. IT WAS 60+ YEARS AGO!

Is there no time limit? Should Scott receive money due to the hardships placed upon his family during the war of 1812 also? How about the Civil War?

Word and I agree, I would not support aid going to the families of Pearl Harbor now, that too was 60+ years ago and makes no friggin sense. Immediately after it happened, why sure. But now? No way.

Idiocy.

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Anyone who thinks the “surrender for past victories” is a great comment either doesn’t have a second grader’s apprehension of English, or is simply so fargone with regards to political ideology that even a bowel movement by the Democrats hurts the War on Terrorism.

Ok, how about trying this one on: They’re trying to jump ahead in time and surrender future victories.

?

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Curt already hit the nail on the head when he remarked the difference is in the passage of time. It’s in the past. Providing reparations now, 60 plus years later, opens up a whole can of worms. The Philippines were under American authority up until 1946. In the immediate aftermath of WWII, financial aid would make some sense; but now? We had many brave Filipino allies who gave their lives in the fight against Japanese imperialism. But compensation now…for what?! They’ve benefited greatly from America, as has Guam. The very act of fighting the Japanese and liberating them from further suffering under the thumbnails of imperial Japan- at the cost of American soldier lives- should be compensation, in and of itself. Will the inhabitants of Guam provide compensation to the family members of dead American soldiers, who fought and died on their behalf, 60 years after the fact?

Even if Guam were the 51st state of the U.S., I would not support reparations. Should Hawaiians who suffered during Pearl Harbor be receiving financial aid NOW?!! I think everyone’s moved on, already.

I would hope you’re just as angry when we give millions of dollars to other NON-AMERICAN nations who happen to suffer at the hands of another nation.

The amount of financial aid we give to foreign nations each year- especially to those hostile to the U.S.- leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It must be of the same vein of Christianity which cares more about homosexuals than assisting the poor (you know the one which is completely opposite of anything Christ actually said?).

If you’re trying to slam the “religious right” or just the religious in general, you might take a look at Arthur Brooks’ research:

Religious people are 25 percentage points more likely than secularists to donate money (91 percent to 66 percent) and 23 points more likely to volunteer time (67 percent to 44 percent). And, consistent with the findings of other writers, these data show that practicing a religion is more important than the actual religion itself in predicting charitable behavior. For example, among those who attend worship services regularly, 92 percent of Protestants give charitably, compared with 91 percent of Catholics, 91 percent of Jews, and 89 percent from other religions.

It appears that in a way the people of Guam have got the reparations from Japan they always wanted.

If that’s the case, that it’s Japanese money, more power to them. Have they provided compensation to those who suffered at Nanking? Last I heard, they still do not recognize the atrocities that their military committed there. The Japanese don’t even learn about it; I guess they have no Howard Zinn scholar of their own to bash them over the head with such history.

Here’s an interesting personal tidbit: My parent were stationed in Guam for a year. I could call them up, and there was no international long distance charge! Since Guam is considered part of the U.S., it did not affect my phone bill, adversely.

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First off, I think Kos is an idiot.

Well let’s see… I’m fairly certain that the American government provided assistance to people of Ohio who were adversely affected by the British Invasion from Canada during the War of 1812.

The people of Guam who were adversely affected by the Second World War and battle on the island didn’t receive assistance. If the battle on the island decimated the homes, etc. of the families living there, or ruined the land making it less useful for farming, etc. then families are probably still feeling some of the pain. There’s a big difference between sixty years and one hundred ninety years (I won’t do the math for you, but the number has three digits).

By the way, my comment is only insulting if you honestly think that giving money to Americans adversely affected by the Second World War who have been neglected for decades is the equivalent of giving up the entire Island of Guam to Japan.

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This is not a good day for the conservative blogsphere I fear. I am researching this and I think the blogs have got it wrong. This is a pretty complex issue and the Commision that reviewed these claims was bipartisan.

It also appears that this money is really Japanesse money that the Japanese are giving us so we can move troops Okinawai to Guam. That figure in 9 billion. I am still researching this but if this is true then maybe we should see some retractions. Especially since the Guam National Guard is the Horn Of Africa right now serving this country. It appears that in a way the people of Guam have got the reparations from Japan they always wanted.

Also note. The Republicans hold most of the offices on Guam. Anyone think about calling them up to get their take on it?

JH
Louisiana

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Talk about being disingenuous. The difference between Hawaii and Guam is that aid was given immediately AFTER the attack. Not 60 years later when most who were alive at that time are now gone.

Anyone who thinks the “surrender for past victories” is a great comment either doesn’t have a second grader’s apprehension of English, or is simply so fargone with regards to political ideology that even a bowel movement by the Democrats hurts the War on Terrorism.

Ohhhh, look everybody, the leftist is throwing insults out. Anyone surprised?

Your types typically resort to that tactic when they know they have lost the argument. Why should 25 million dollars be spent to “help out” fellow Americans for something that happened 60+ years ago? How about those Americans during the war of 1812 as Scott commented on? Hell, lets go back to the Revolution. Lets just give it all out and raise our taxes even more. You lefties love that.

If you cannot see how idiotic this friggin idea is then there is no hope for you….begone back to KOS.

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