When debating responses to Japanese aggression at Pearl Harbour, it did not take long for HUSS delegate, Senator James Oliver Eastland, to suggest the potential of nuclear warfare and the atomic bomb. After making mighty patriotic statements like the USA have “officially entered WW2,” and it’s time to “show Japan who we are,” his confidence disintegrated at the first sign of dissent.
When questioned about funding for such a project by Senator Langer (obviously), his reply, or rather, non-reply, was “no comment.” When he was further questioned about the time-frame of such a project, he asked, “repeat (his) question.” What he meant was, “please don’t talk to me, I am incapable of speech when put on the spot.”
Preferring to let the rest of the senators take over proceedings for a solid hour as he furtively, silently, furiously wrote his reply. Senator Eastland reappeared at the end of the committee session to make one more impassioned statement, largely of no value, dismissing the consequences of the Pearl harbour bombing in one statement, “what happened has happened.”
If he were simply a narrow-minded warmonger, the Senate might still find use for him. Unfortunately, he also takes 1.5 hours to fire enough synapses to formulate an original argument. Stay slow, Senator Eastland.
Samidha Panicker
South China Morning Post
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