Relationship of the United States and Japan

Relationship of the United States and Japan The earliest contact between both countries was through merchants and explorers. Later in the mid-1800s several representatives from the U.S. traveled to Japan in order to negotiate trade agreements, including Commodore Matthew Perry in 1852 who negotiated the first trade treaty and the Convention of Kanagawa. Likewise, a Japanese delegation came to the U.S. in 1860 in hopes of strengthening diplomatic and trade relations between both countries. World War II World War II saw the countries pitted against each other after the Japanese bombed the American naval base at  Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941. The war ended in 1945 after Japan suffered tremendous causalities from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the firebombing of Tokyo. Korean War Both China and the US got involved in the Korean War in support of the North and the South respectively. This was the only time when soldiers from both countries actually fought as the U.S./U.N. forces battled Chinese soldiers upon Chinas official entrance in the war to counter American involvement. Surrender On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered leading to an occupation by the victorious Allied forces. Upon gaining control of Japan, U.S. President Harry Truman appointed General Douglas MacArthur as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in Japan. The Allied forces worked on the reconstruction of Japan, as well as consolidating political legitimacy by publicly standing on the side of Emperor Hirohito. This allowed MacArthur to work within the political system. By the end of 1945, approximately 350,000 U.S. servicemen were in Japan working on a wide variety of projects. Post War Transformation Under Allied control, Japan undertook a remarkable transformation characterized by the new constitution of Japan which emphasized democratic principles, educational and economic reform, and demilitarization which was embedded in the new Japanese constitution. As the reforms took place MacArthur gradually shifted political control over to the Japanese culminating in the 1952 Treaty of San Francisco which officially ended the occupation. This framework was the beginning of a close relationship between both countries that lasts until this day. Close Cooperation The period after the San Francisco treaty has been characterized by close cooperation between both countries, with 47,000 US military servicemen remaining in Japan by invitation of the Japanese government. Economic cooperation has also been playing a large role in the relationship with the US providing Japan with significant amounts of aid in the post-war periods as Japan became an ally in the Cold War. The partnership has resulted in the reemergence of the Japanese economy which remains one of the strongest economies in the region.

Ironic Famous Last Words

Ironic Famous Last Words Whether realized at the time they are said or only in hindsight, nearly everyone will express a word, phrase or sentence that proves the last thing he or she ever says while alive. Sometimes profound, sometimes every day, here you will find a select collection of the last words spoken by various people that appear ironic in hindsight. Note: The following quotations are organized alphabetically by the individuals last name followed by the year in which he or she died. R. Budd Dwyer (1987) Dont, dont, dont, this will hurt someone. Embroiled in a bribery scandal, Pennsylvania Treasurer Dwyer decided to commit suicide rather than resign publicly. After addressing reporters gathered at a press conference the day before a Pennsylvania court was scheduled to issue Dwyers sentence for his earlier bribery conviction, the state treasurer cut short his prepared remarks and produced a .357 caliber handgun to the astonishment of attendees. As people tried to defuse the situation and take the gun from him, Dwyer warned reporters not to approach as he placed the gun in his mouth and pulled  the trigger. Stephen Irwin (2006) Dont worry, they usually dont swim backwards. While filming a documentary near Australias Great Barrier Reef, The Crocodile Hunter encountered a stingray that defensively used its tail spine to ward off Irwin, piercing his chest. Despite the efforts of his production and boat crews to save his life, Irwin died from cardiac arrest and  excessive loss of blood. Terry Alan Kath (1978) Dont worry†¦ its not loaded. The founding member of the rock group Chicago thought the .38 caliber revolver he pointed to his head was unloaded. John F. Kennedy (1963) No, you certainly cant. Jacqueline Kennedy testified on June 5, 1964, that these were President Kennedys last words- or something to this effect- in response to the statement by Nellie Connally, the wife of Texas Governor John Connally. He remarked just before an assassins bullet struck the president: You certainly cant say that the people of Dallas havent given you a nice welcome. Vic Morrow (1982) Ive got to be crazy to do this shot. I shouldve asked for a double. During the filming of a scene for Twilight Zone: The Movie, the planned pyrotechnic explosions damaged the tail rotor of a helicopter that was part of the sequence, causing the pilot to lose control of the craft. The helicopters main rotor decapitated Morrow and a seven-year-old actor he carried in his arms and crushed a second child actor when it crashed. Charged with involuntary manslaughter, a jury ultimately acquitted the films director, John Landis, of the charges. Hector Hugh Munro, aka Saki (1916) Put that bloody cigarette out! Serving in the British Army during World War I, Saki (the pen name of British author Munro) uttered his last words on a French battlefield. A German sniper saw the lit cigarette or overheard Sakis order and shot the 43-year-old. (Incidentally, there is an interesting death-related superstition revolving around soldiers lighting cigarettes on a battlefield called Three on a Match.) Lawrence Oates (1912) I am just going outside and may be some time. Suffering from the effects of scurvy and frostbite, and fearing his maladies placed the rest of his companions at risk as they attempted to reach the South Pole for the first time in history, Oates uttered these final words according to expedition leader Robert Falcon Scotts journal. After his comrades refused his first attempt to sacrifice himself for their safety, Oates said these words as he left the groups shelter during a blizzard. Unfortunately, his heroic sacrifice did not save his companions, who died from exposure a little more than a week later. Taylor Sauer (2012) I can’t discuss this now. Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha. While driving from Utah State University to her parents home in Idaho in January 2012, 18-year-old Sauer reportedly sent a text message every 90 seconds while behind the wheel during the four-hour trip. After sending the last message (above), her car slammed into the back of a truck at an estimated 80 miles per hour. John Sedgwick (1864) Im ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldnt hit an elephant at this distance. The highest-ranking Union officer to die during the American Civil War, Major General Sedgwick chastised the men in his command for reacting to Confederate sharpshooter fire while placing artillery in preparation for (what is now known as) the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse in Virginia moments before a snipers bullet ended his life. Sources:Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha: Chilling last text sent by teenage driver seconds before she died in 80mph horror crash, March 6, 2012. Daily Mail. Retrieved March 2, 2014. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110646/Driving-facebooking-safe-Haha-Parents-daughters-text-predicted-fatal-mistake-seeking-change-driving-laws.html