[Skybird]

the one thing that angers me the most about that day is the lack of longterm understanding on side of the Japanese . they lost the war on day one. The event itself - militarily it has my admiration. I never bought any pathos or understood why the slaughtering and mass killing of war is more civilized if there is papers traded before. If it comes to death, these things do loose all importance. In war I would not hesiate to shoot my enemy in the back when he sleeps and lies on his belly - no method is more safe. Everthing else is just empty words to me. If someone don't like it - he better don't go to war.

"If you made the decision to draw your sword, make drawing and hitting your opponent one and the same action." (my old teacher. He was a master with the sword.) It saved me three times so far.

I also don't see much difference between the Japanese action back then, and contemporary politics today. It's always about hiding your strike.