Roosevelt 

vs.

Bush

Much has been said about the events of 9/11 and December, 7th, 1941. Comparisons have been made and blame laid. The fact of the matter is, comparing the two events are comparing Apples to Oranges.

After WW1 and Prior to Pearl Harbour, the young Turks of the Japanese Military were upset for their Island Nation was dependent upon the world for it's resources,especially oil. They wanted to be self dependent, and they did not care how. They first went on the offensive in Mongolia, China and other Asain Nations. The United States did not approve of this and cut off all shipments of raw material.  Japan knew what its next move had to be; convince the U.S. to join them or fight the U.S. When the U.S. refused, they knew what their next move would be; destroy the Fleet at Pearl Harbour.

Plans were made, exercises held, fuel hoarded. The High Command kept in touch with the Embassy in Washington, D.C. as developments unfolded.

This, was their downfall.

The codebreakers at the OSS and the War Department had broken the Japanese diplomatic code nicknamed "Purple". With the code broken, they could read the diplomatic mail between the Embassy and the Japanese Government. However, this too time in that you first had to decipher the code into Japanese and then translate it, This was done by a motley crew of crossword puzzle experts, cryptogram game specialists, mathematicians and scholars plus translators. They did not have computers then. 

When the word was received diplomatic relations were breaking down and the Fleet had set sail, Roosevelt was notified.  He in turn called in the heads of the War Department as well as the Secretary of State. They knew what was going to happen when and where, the question was how to go about dealing with it.

I am sure it was pure anguish in the meetings with one side arguing for getting the fleet out of Pearl and another saying set the Fleet after the Japanese Fleet. Both were unacceptable because then it would let the Japanese Military know we were wise to them. This would of resulted in the Fleet turning around and heading home to attack another day with possibly far worse consequences.

The decision was made to do nothing EXCEPT send the carriers at Pearl out on Manuvers. This was a commonplace occurrence,and all the spies at Pearl could do was say the Carriers are gone but the fleet remains. Yes, the Japanese Military really wanted to get those carriers, but they would settle for destroying the rest of the fleet. The rest, they say, is history.

Bush was warned in advance many times Osama Bin Laden was going to strike, and he chose to do nothing. Cheney even knew and had the audacity to repeal the law which gave fighter pilots the authority to intercept hijacked aircraft. This was not put back in place until after 9/11.

Two Presidents, two events, you decide.