"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
posted on July 16, 2005 06:19:06 PM new
Yes, it was such a wonderful thing to do to all those innocent men, women and children. We really showed the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who's boss. Perhaps some other country will show us who's boss as well someday. Won't that be special?
It wasn't the only option, Ron. In fact, it was the worst option and certainly not something to celebrate with an "Anniversary".
Come September by Arundahati Roy...an excerpt...
How many Septembers have gone by since August 1945, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary Japanese people were obliterated by the nuclear strikes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? For how many Septembers have the thousands who had the misfortune of surviving those strikes endured that living hell that was visited on them, their unborn children, their children's children, on the earth, the sky, the water, the wind, and all the creatures that swim and walk and crawl and fly? Not far from here, in Albuquerque, is the National Atomic Museum where Fat Man and Little Boy (the affectionate nicknames for the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) were available as souvenir earrings. Funky young people wore them. A massacre dangling in each ear. But I'm straying from my theme. It's September that we're talking about, not August.
"So having 1 million americans die would of been better to you?"
The estimate that an invasion of Japan would cost a million lives has been disputed as being not realistic and used only to justify bombings. The truth is that by August 1945, Japan was in desperate shape and ready to surrender. If the U.S. had accepted a conditional surrender, it's likely that a peaceful settlement could have been negotiated.
posted on July 16, 2005 07:21:55 PM new
I used to have a client Sachiko was her name she had many health problems. When she was a little girl growing up in Hiroshima my country dropped an atom bomb on her.
She survived. I knew her in the 1980's I'm not sure where she is today.
posted on July 16, 2005 07:25:22 PM new
The key word is "conditional" why should of we accepted a "conditional" surrender from an enemy that made a surprise attack to begin the war?
As it turned out they were very economically strong at the end of the occupation.
posted on July 16, 2005 07:30:23 PM new
--The key word is "conditional" why should of we accepted a "conditional" surrender from an enemy that made a surprise attack to begin the war?--
because it would've been the far-sighted, civil, intelligent, humane, thing to do.
---As it turned out they were very economically strong at the end of the occupation---
posted on July 16, 2005 07:33:24 PM new
washingtonebayer
You are too funny. And just how were one million Americans going to be killed in WWII? We were asleep at the wheel and we were cocky. That's how they got to Pearl Harbor under our noses. After that, they weren't about to get to the mainland. If you think that, I'm sure someone here has a bridge you can buy. The Japanese went after the military. They didn't drop a bomb on two cities full of non-military men, women and children. The fact that that country even forgave us for that grievous act is a testimony to their people's true nature. And, the fact that the Japanese American citizens at that time forgave us for what we did to them is further testimony to their character.
Just because a government chooses to do what it does, doesn't not mean that all people that are governed by them are bad and should be destroyed. It is thinking like that that has the Middle East hating all Americans. Not just those that choose to destroy them.
posted on July 16, 2005 07:46:11 PM new
No, what is incredibly funny is listening to moronic laments about the use of the weapons against Japan.
Since the Japanese military attempted to sieze the emperor, cut the link to prevent the capitulation broadcast, and it was only a lowly court official smuggling out a recording to the station that ended the war, the various "theories" about negotiations seem a little light. The had no desire to negotiate AFTER the use of the weapon, TWICE.
Oh, and the casualty estimates were based on battlefield experiences in the Philipines, Iwo Jimo, Okinawa, Saipan and Tarawa, in 1945 not by "George Bush", the "publicans", "neocons", or a left wing think tank.
posted on July 16, 2005 08:32:59 PM new
I truly grieve about the TWO bombs we dropped...
Grieve that we didn't have 5 or six more to drop!
But, we dropped the TWO not for the "benefit" of the Japanese, but rather to put the fear of God in Uncle Joe...
We were doing a fine job of frying Tokyo with incendiary fire-storm attacks. I believe that it was only a week or two before the Hiroshima bomb that 100,000 perished in the Tokyo fire-storm...
But, truly, who cares? I sure don't! They reaped what they sowed, IMMHO
I'd rather for the VICTIMS of the RAPE OF NANKING:
"There is a theme park called "Aichi Kodomo no Kuni" (Aichi Children's Land). It is an isolated place but enjoyable for family excursions. The park is located in the mountain side and has a swimming pool, a camp, walking course, and a small zoo. The town is surrounded by both the sea and a mountain called Sangane-san. On the top of the mountain, there is a controversial shrine commemorating war criminals of World War II, including Hideki Tojo."
WTF??? What next? Himmler Hills in Germany? Stalin's Happy Gulag & Discount Xmas Park in Siberia?
JAPAN got away pretty scott-free after WWII...
[ edited by tOMWiii on Jul 16, 2005 08:59 PM ]
[ edited by tOMWiii on Jul 16, 2005 09:05 PM ]
posted on July 16, 2005 09:08:02 PM new
"We were doing a fine job of frying Tokyo with incendiary fire-storm attacks. I believe that it was only a week or two before the Hiroshima bomb that 100,000 perished in the Tokyo fire-storm... "
Umm, No.
The first firebombing raid was on Kobe on February 3, 1945. The first such raid on Tokyo was on the night of February 23–24 when 174 B-29s destroyed around one square mile (3 km˛) of the city. Following on that success 334 B-29s raided on the night of March 9–10, dropping around 1,700 tons of bombs. Around 16 square miles (41 km˛) of the city was destroyed and over 100,000 people are estimated to have died in the fire storm.
There was a third raid on Tokyo on May 26.
Mobilization, arming, and training of the general population continued AFTER this, during their mad desire for negotiation.
posted on July 16, 2005 09:20:08 PM new
You people who lament the dropping of the bombs and blame the USA make me SICK. I was 10 years old and will never forget the homecoming of my uncle who had been their prisoner of war for 4 years. He was in the Batann Death March after being captured in the Phillipines. We thought he was dead. He weighed 98 lbs on his return and would never tell us of his experiences, except seeing one his buddies tied to a tree and castrated and left to die. The experiences of those men and women at the hands of the Japanese were unspeakable. You goodie, goodies should have lived thru those times before you throw your sympathies where they don't belong. You make me SICK.
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 16, 2005 09:20 PM ]
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 16, 2005 09:22 PM ]
posted on July 16, 2005 09:20:35 PM new
You're correct, but, by the time of the bomb, there wasn't much left to bomb (LOL!)!
"Two more raids hit Osaka on June 7 and 15, burning out another four square miles. The final raids on Osaka ended Bomber Commands plan to incinerate metropolitan Japan. Our cost was monumental in terms of aircraft and crews. LeMay tried to convince Norstad that the B-29 could win the war by continuing the bombing without invading the homeland. He said we could just keep bombing them until they quit. During the summer the Marianas was super crowded with over 1000 B-29s. In June a new outfit named the 509th Composite Group with 15 B-29s was stationed at an isolated area on Tinian. The crewmembers never talked about why they were there, only the Commander Col. Paul Tibbets knew why.
LeMay continued to insist that with his plan the war would be over shortly. He had already paralyzed the entire country, destroying most of the aircraft factories, oil refineries, steel plants, and burned down most of the cities. His next program would be to bomb four cities, Omuta, Hamamatsu, Yokkaichi, and Kagoshima. After that opposition was so light he dropped leaflets in advance not only to save lives but to frighten workers away from their jobs. After observing the almost total devastation, LeMay advised Gen. Arnold that very shortly he would not have any cities left to destroy. Kyoto was off limits because it was a religious and cultural center. LeMay noted that four cities were left - Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Kokura."
I'm still convinced that the bomb-drop was more for Uncle Joe's benefit than ending the war. We could have just fire-bombed them into oblivion...OTOH, who cares? The A-BOMB worked just fine-&-dandy!
TRULY a marvelous miracle!
An obscure Hungarian physicist writes a letter...
A fat nasty Army Corps of Engineers General is mixed with a Sanskrit-spouting lefty GENIUS...
The BEST & THE BRIGHTEST minds of the FREE WORLD gather in total secrecy in the desert...
AND, in only 3 years...
THEY SAVE THE WORLD...
WONDERFUL!
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
posted on July 16, 2005 09:39:50 PM new
Tom, I will read that book. Thanks.
Would you believe that my uncle is still with us today. He was featured on our local TV station recently. A real life hero who doesn't think he is a hero, just a survivor.
It just makes be sick to see that some people today have no idea of what transpired and why it was necessary to do what we did.
As I have said before, the entire thinking and culture of Japan was turned around in an instant. Terrible times sometimes require terrible measures.
posted on July 16, 2005 09:42:55 PM new
I'm waiting for the posts about "different cultures" and how it was ok by their standards to chop up a few prisoners now and again.
But alas, the war mongers will just never "give peace a chance".
[ edited by mingotree on Jul 16, 2005 06:59 PM ]