Hiroshima's Lessons for the War on Terror

Sultan Knish blog ^ | August 10, 2014 | Daniel Greenfield

[Bigg Red]

In the summer of '45, the United States concluded a war that had come to be seen by some as unwinnable after the carnage at Iwo Jima with a bang.

~~snip~~

The two bombs stand in stark contrast to our endless nation-building exercises in which nothing is ever finished until we give up. Instead Truman cut the Gordian Knot and avoided a long campaign that would have depopulated Japan and destroyed the lives of a generation of American soldiers.

[Bigg Red]

FTA:Finally the official report dismissed all conclusions and labeled an attack by a Muslim terrorist affiliated with a major Al Qaeda figure as a case of workplace violence. If the authors of that report had been available to write up the events of December 7 1941, they would have blamed Newton’s Third Law.

^^^ As usual, Greenfield ties it all together beautifully. The brave men who saved the world in WWII are surely rolling in their graves to see our current trepidation at dealing with a dangerous enemy.

[Bigg Red]

Interesting story there of the former Japanese soldier Tomoya Kawakita.

[oh8eleven]

... and destroyed the lives of a generation of American soldiers.
And a significant impact on the yet to be born Baby Boom generation as well. Many of us would not be here today if not for THE bomb(s).

[a fool in paradise]

The Left was FOR torture and nuclear weapons in the Iraq war.

They told us how Saddam was able to keep the peace by keeping terrorist activities down in Iraq (rape rooms, disemboweling family members in front of the accused, chopping off hands, etc.) and they boasted how we won WWII in less than 4 years. Of course it took 2 nuclear bombs on civilian areas and the threat of more to put it to an end.

[RedMDer]

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[who_would_fardels_bear]

After having decided to start a war in Iraq, as soon as we gained control of the country we should have established a benevolent dictatorship. That dictatorship should still be in place, and should have remained in place until all of the citizens were seen to play nice with each other.

Because such a possibility is unthinkable, we should never have gone into Iraq. Instead we should still have a no-fly zone in place with occasional bombings of specific targets any time Saddam did something particularly nasty.

[Bigg Red]

And a significant impact on the yet to be born Baby Boom generation as well. Many of us would not be here today if not for THE bomb(s).

***
Very good point.

[xone]

ph

[A Navy Vet]

"The two bombs stand in stark contrast to our endless nation-building exercises in which nothing is ever finished until we give up. Instead Truman cut the Gordian Knot and avoided a long campaign that would have depopulated Japan and destroyed the lives of a generation of American soldiers."

There are definite similarities between Imperial Japan and Radical Muslims:
1. Muslims are imperialistic due to their quest for a world-wide caliphe like Japan was under their god-emporer;
2. Muslims are horrific in their means to further their imperialism, as was Japan. Think Baatan Death March and all the torture (including beheadings), rapes, and indiscriminate murders of prisoners of war by Japan, not to mention the "Rape of Nanking";
3. Both are so radical that they employ suicide bombers - think Kamikaze pilots and Japan's willingness to arm children, women and old men to repel an invasion;
4. Both guided by a higher power that doesn't really exist then or now (god-emporer and Allah);

The difference between then and now is that we have become civilized in our approach to warfare. We will no longer use any means necessary to kill the enemy...including the deaths of civilians. THAT will be Western Civilizations' ultimate downfall. Remember, we don't talk German because we fire bombed their cities!

As for nation building after the fact - Japan remained occupied and MacArthur instilled a Constitutional Republic as we kept forces their long enough until the Japanese changed their philosophy. We did not do so in Iraq and probably won't with Aftganiscrap.

Therein lies the problem. Go to war? Go to win and don't leave a vacumn for others to start up again. Hate to say it, but we should never have left Iraq. We could have dealt with any radical insurgency if we just played by their rules and killed them all when they popped up, including their villages where they hide. Now, we have countless maimed Troops not to mention the deaths and destroyed families. All for nothing.

Yes, we have a moral agenda that says give our vanquished back to their people. But since some cultures can't get past their god complex or territorial desires, we should remain and dictate until they learn to play nice. I used to believe we should not be the police of the world, but under Obambis' rule, we've seen what that has reaped. Now, I think if we fight, we keep what we've won...much like Israel.

Remember the purple fingers of those who voted in the newly liberated Iraq? A lot of good it did to give their country back so quickly. No, I don't know how long we need to stay after any given conflict, but MacArthur had the right idea.

[mc5cents]

Excellent ANV. I could not have said it any better.

[Bigg Red]

What you say makes sense, and I would assume that Greenfield’s opinion aligns with yours.

[A Navy Vet]

"Excellent ANV. I could not have said it any better."

Thank you. However, don't think I don't feel for the deaths of innocent civilians in any war. I'd just rather their innocents die before ours. We just want to live in peace and prosper, much like Israel.

It flabbergasts me that so much of the world holds Israel in contempt simply because they defend themselves. They are a productive, innovative, peaceful people who just want to live their lives as we Americans do.

Israel is now my standard regarding self-preservation. After so many attempts to make peace since 1948 and so many wars with the Arab nations and so many Intifadas (remember the cafe, wedding, bus, marketplace bombings of years back before the wall?) and still willing to work with the so-called Palis, they still get sh*t for just existing. I would have no problem with Israel moving into Gaza and reclaiming that land which they mistakenly gave up.

Next conflict/war: No, not Russia or China - Iran. They may be Persians but their totalitarian leadership have the same Islamist mentality of the Arabs. They need to be stopped yesterday from developing nuclear weapons.

The entire region and world will change for the worse once the Mullahs have the bomb. Again, nuke them back into the stone age if it protects my children and grand-children. Too bad, since most Iranians are pro western - I've talked to quite a few here at home.

[xone]

Of course it took 2 nuclear bombs on civilian areas

Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kokura (the primary for the Nagasaki bomb) were loaded with military and industrial targets. The fact that civilians lived there as well wouldn't nor should it take them off the target list especially considering the bombing accuracy of the day.