[sushiman]

There are plenty of politicos in Japan who think likewise , but most keep their mouths shut about it .

[Snoopers-868th]

Well, that is just too damn bad. They got what they deserved for the atrocities they committed against out own men. Revisionists can make anything they like but the bottom line is many lives of our country men were saved because of the bomb.

[San Jacinto]

December 7, 1941.

[aruanan]

Shoichi Nakagawa, a senior Liberal Democratic Party politician has called the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan in 1945 a crime and inexcusable.

Well, Shoichi, it's proving to be valuable to you as a political platform. And it saved lots of Japanese lives by avoiding a hostile invasion, not to mention A-bomb survivors living longer lives with lower cancer rates than their age cohorts.

[Brilliant]

And so was Pearl Harbor, and Baatan, and the Japanese invasion of the Phillipines, etc.

[Brimack34]

Does he say the same thing about the bombing of Pearl Harber or what they did to the Chinese people along with what they did to the U.S. prisoners.

[NonValueAdded]

Hey, Nakagawa, come to Pearl Harbor and say that. Looks like a RAT is a RAT the world over.

[RightWhale]

If anybody talked about the A-bomb back then it was like, 'Good. Ended the war.'

[sean327]

The inexcusable crime would have been an all out invasion of the Japanese mainland. The war would have dragged on at least aanother year, with horrendous casualties, civilian and military. Think Okinawa X 10.

[GSlob]

Quoting one of their own, one Michinaga Fujiwara, about a 1000 years ago, "You ought to be uncommonly grateful". And so they ought to be.

[mkjessup]

Tell you what Papa-san...

The best thing that EVER happened to Japan was that first military application of 'Atoms for Peace' over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which broke the back of your then-militarist society, opened the door for democracy to take root, and it's that same friendly Mr. Atom (courtesy of Uncle Sam) that is protecting your ungrateful ass from Comrade Chia Pet just a ways down the road in Pyongyang North Korea.

So go screw yourself Shoichi, that's as good as it gets for you.

[mnehring]

Nakagawa, shall we look at where Japan is now versus then? Does anyone think that Japan would be better off now if we had to invaded and the war lasted another decade? There is a reason why the LDP in Japan has virtually no power. I am glad that the majority of Japan aren't this blind to reality.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Hey Nakagawa!
How come your country refuses to admit to atrocities like the rape of Nanking or the torture and genocide of POW's during WW2?

[muir_redwoods]

The Japanese expressly asked for thermonuclear annihilation when the staged a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. We just paid them back with compound interest.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Shoichi Nakagawa, a senior Liberal Democratic Party politician has called the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan in 1945 a crime and inexcusable.

Nonsense. Don't start a war and then complain when the other guy finishes it. Oh, and for the little matter of US reconstruction - you're welcome.

Ingrate.

[KarlInOhio]

Maybe Ahmadinejad can host a Pearl Harbor deniers conference and Nakagawa can attend. How do we really know that anyone bombed Pear Harbor? Japan was just working peacfully until 1945 and then BOOM! BOOM!< /sarcasm>

[colorado tanker]

So, we should withdraw our nuclear guarantee of Japan's integrity, and tell North Korea if they nuke Tokyo we will not retaliate? We sure wouldn't want to commit any "crimes" would we?

[Joe Boucher]

Japam has litle room to throw stones after their treatment of China, Korea Pearl Harbor and prisoners during and prior to WWII.
Dropping two atomic bombs saved millions of lives had an invasion been necessary. But this Nakagawa probably doesn't know or understand this as japan refuses to teach its people of its crimes. Crimes against humanity.

[El Cid]

If the war had lasted longer, which I believe it would have if the A-bombs weren't used, I suspect Japan would have 'enjoyed' the fruits of Soviet participation in their conquest - with a similar division of their territory as was done in Europe and Korea.

War is hell, but when started you need to go all out to terminate it as quickly as possible. Obviously Truman's motivations were to minimize American causalities (as well they should have been), but Japan also benefited in receiving these ugly and shocking blows to expedite cessation of hostilities.

[Rummyfan]

Nakagawa ought to keep his mouth shut, or we'll come and do it again!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

American WWII POWS in German hands survived at about a 90% rate!

American WWII POWS in Jap hands were murdered at over a 70%
rate.