Hiroshima

[MonsterMark]

Ya know, I watched a special on the a-bombings and for a while I relly felt sorry the innocent Japanese people. Then I saw what the Japanese were doing to our POW's and suddenly I didn't feel as sorry. Take Abu Graib and then put that side by side with the torture and starvation and disease that our troops had to endure and it should make everyone mad. I still feel sorry for the innocent Japanese people and I feel we should have picked better (military) targets to minimize civilian casualties but the Japanese just didn't get it. It took the Russians turning against them and 2 bombs to finally give them a dose of reality. So although I feel for the 300-400,000 dead in those 2 cities, I rejoice that 500,000 Americans and several million more Japanese did not have to die. I don't know how mankind can be so bitter toward each other. We are doomed to kill ourselves I'm afraid. Don't see any way around it. The cat is out of the bag. The clock is ticking.

 

[formerknown]

My Grandfather was one of 140 people who survived the Bataan Death March.

 

[mach8]

"(I) feel we should have picked better (military) targets to minimize civilian casualties but the Japanese just didn't get it. "

Unfortunately the Japanese industry of the times was very integrated with their urban areas so it was very difficult to separate the two with the technology available then. But the question is also, just how "innocent" are civilians when they are the ones supporting the war efforts of their country?

 

[Vitas]

I don't know how mankind can be so bitter toward each other.

After the many major accomplishments we have had in our generation, since WW II, I would like to think that the world can evolve to a better state than beating each other's brains out. I thought that would happen after the fall of the Berlin wall. If we all are not ready to accomplish this now, in the year 2005, when will we ever?

 

[Kbob]

The "rape of Nanking" is also an unparalleled horror from the Japanese army during WWII.

But the question is also, just how "innocent" are civilians when they are the ones supporting the war efforts of their country?

Well, I think it would be a mistake to get into that debate. Otherwise, we'd be legitimizing terrorist attacks on our own civilians. Let's just say "civilians", and leave out the innocent. Unfortunately, the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was what it took to end the war. Truman did not make the decision to use the bomb lightly. He carefully considered all the ramifications, pros and cons. In the end, he realized that this was the right decision. Those 2 cities died so that the rest of Japan would live, and the estimated 500,000 or more allied casualties would be spared as well.

I believe the attacks on 9/11 were designed to knock the U.S. out much the same way the 2 a-bomb attacks knocked out Japan. How shocked the terrorists must have been when the outcome of the attack was more like what happened after Pearl Harbor instead. Yamamoto's prophetic statement: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." We keep hitting the snooze button, though.

 

[fossten]

After the many major accomplishments we have had in our generation, since WW II, I would like to think that the world can evolve to a better state than beating each other's brains out. I thought that would happen after the fall of the Berlin wall. If we all are not ready to accomplish this now, in the year 2005, when will we ever?

You can't eliminate war. Not as long as there is evil in the world. I certainly sympathize with your feelings about evolving to a better state, but as long as man is fallible, he will be selfish. Man will never, in this life, be infallible. So wars will never end.

 

[eL eS]

Tha Jos knowingly and willingly persued a path of death and destrution all for the sake of expanding the emporoers dynasty. Practically every man woman and child were prepared to die for this wing nuts ideology. These guys perfected hommicide bombers.

It is a shame that we were left no other course of action than to whip them into total submission with a force so grew that it continues to ae the mind to this very day. But this iswhat you have to do when you are fighting extremist that are willing to die for thier ilcontrived ideaology.

I pray we never find ourselves in this situation every again.

 

[Kbob]

It's an over-used quote, but it's so true: "freedom isn't free." We pay for it in peacetime as well, ever vigilant to whatever rises up against it.

 

[fossten]

Tha Jos knowingly and willingly persued a path of death and destrution all for the sake of expanding the emporoers dynasty. Practically every man woman and child were prepared to die for this wing nuts ideology. These guys perfected hommicide bombers.

It is a shame that we were left no other course of action than to whip them into total submission with a force so grew that it continues to ae the mind to this very day. But this iswhat you have to do when you are fighting extremist that are willing to die for thier ilcontrived ideaology.

I pray we never find ourselves in this situation every again.

Yeah, that raises an interesting point. They were kamakaze-ing our ships. One line of logic might say, "Hey, these guys are wanting to die anyway, so our nukes are just going to help them along a little." If the enemy is conducting suicide attacks, there should be NO restraints to violence against him.