Posted on 08/03/2020 7:06:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
It is August, 2020, now seventy-five years since the end of America's World War II hostilities with the nation then known as the Empire of Japan. August 6 and 9 are the historic anniversary dates of the first and only use of nuclear weapons in warfare. In the ensuing three quarters of a century, the attacks of 1945 on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki their usefulness and their rectitude have been the subject of vigorous debate over their military, scientific, political, historic, and moral significance.
Schools of thought regarding yes-or-no justification generally break down as follows:
Yes. The European and Pacific wars were already too costly in lives and property. A quick end was mandatory.
No. The European war was already over, and the Pacific conflict was winding down. The Soviet Union, free from battling Germany, was soon to engage in hostile action against Japan.
Yes. There were no good options. This was the least bad alternative.
No. Regardless of military considerations, the attacks were a crime against humanity for the massive carnage of Japan's innocent civilian population, and Japan was presumably about to capitulate. America should apologize to Japan.
Yes. Western notions of chivalry, honor, and humane treatment of vanquished opponents were alien to Japan's ruthless, barbarous, and sadistic military culture. A powerful checkmate was required, and Japan should apologize to the world.
The atomic attacks by the United States Army Air Force on the two Japanese cities undeniably were horrific tragedies. Abstracted from historical context, by themselves, they do suggest extravagant cruelty in a purely vengeful act by this nation. And they provide ready ammunition for the "Shame America" movement, now in high gear over America's history of slavery, accusations of endemic racism, and other assorted offenses.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Yes.
And just think. If the Japs had not launched the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor there would have been no Atom bombs at all dropped on them....maybe.
Could we drop Fat Man on downtown Portland and end the antifa / BLM crap?
What a dopey piece of work. Just a little late to the debate stage ain’t ya?
Of course it was worth it. It likely saved millions of Japanese lives as well as the lives of a million or more Allied soldiers.
The firebombings of Japanese cities didn’t have the “shock and awe” effect that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did.
The Japanese were not moved so swiftly to surrender with the ongoing firebombing of Japanese cities. But the shock and awe of Hiroshima and Nagasaki moved them to surrender.
This is actually a topic in todays world? Shall we include the bombing of Tokyo, and Dresden and numerous other German cities? American Stinker has gone downhill.
Too late!
It was them or us. I pick them.
Yes.
Next question.
Easily justified. My father was on an escort carrier off the coast of Japan when the war ended. Those were a prime target for kamikazes.
The Truman administration was so racist! /S
AFTER the Hiroshima bomb - the Japanese Ruling Council voted to continue fighting.
After the Nagasaki bomb - the Japanese Ruling Council voted and was deadlocked. So, they decided to continue fighting and inquire through Russia about a negotiated peace.
After Russia attacked Japan in the East, the Emperor stood up and called for a surrender.
I am pretty sure the Japansese were warned several times to surrender or face the consequences. They knew they were beaten but no one wanted to tell their Supreme Being the Emperor so. Their own pride did them in.
Because leftists relentlessly take every opportunity to remind everyone how "evil" the United States is to non-whites ....
Truman and the others involved seemed to have no qualms about using the bombs. If Japan or any of the other participants in WWII had had them they would have used them too. This hand wringing has been going on my whole life mostly by the left to cast doubt on the US victory. Nothing new from the left as usual.
My dad was an Army engineer in WWII, making sure the nickel mine in New Caledonia kept up production, in spite of the Vichy-leaning French governor there.
They were given orders to prepare equipment and personnel for the invasion of Japan. My mother-in-law, who is Japanese, was being trained at the same time how to use a bamboo spear to kill American invaders.
Truman made the right decision. Although a demonstration blast within view of the Imperial Palace might have worked just as well, the chosen strategy worked very quickly, ensuring the safety of both my father and my future MIL.
During the last months of the war, Ishii was preparing for a long-distance attack on the United States with biological weapons. This operation, codenamed “Cherry Blossoms at Night”, called for the use of airplanes to spread plague in San Diego at night.
yeah.. i’d say it’s a good thing we ended it, since they were about to start attacking our mainland with bio weapons they had been working on in Unit 731.
And if you don’t know what Japanese Unit 731 is... yeah.. might want to look it up since all war crimes the Japs did are not taught in US schools.
Also saved Japan from a civil war, as the Soviets would have occupied their share, as was the case in Korea.
Nagasaki, maybe not so much. Some more well-read than myself will weigh in about the Japanese attempting to surrender in the twain, with the stipulation that they would keep their emperor, a condition that the allies did in fact acquiesce to with the correct rationale that the emperor would be helpful in occupation and reconstruction.
Also a secondary consideration for Nagasaki may have been for the benefit of other would-be superpowers who would have been paying attention: "Oh yes, we do have more of these if we should need them anytime soon." Of course they, particularly the USSR, would have known this anyway.
The thing is Tojo was plotting to kill Hirohito when he found out he was going to make his broadcast.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.