I was stationed in Japan for 4 years. Me and my wife (who is Japanese) visited Hiroshima last year. I took some pictures while I was there.
I always thought it interesting that this building, which was at ground zero, was gutted but the structure itself survived.
So you're saying you see absolutely no difference in destroying a strategic military target and slaughtering innocent civilians?
The loss of life is terrible regardless. However, the brave soldiers in the military signed up with the possibility that they may be killed in the line of duty. The unarmed civilians of a nation do not volunteer to fight in a war, they have no ability to fight back, and as such I do not think they should be specifically targeted, whether it be by the US, Japan, England, Germany or any other nation.
The USAAF did not just arbitrarily decide to kill Japanese civilians. The authorization to drop each bomb came from the President of the United States. The targets were selected specifically because they were industrial centers of military arms. The arms factories were surrounded by residential areas, for their proximity to workers and infrastructure.
Harry S. Truman made the tough call to end the war quickly. In August 1945, the Japanese were still fighting in New Guinea, the Philippines, French Indochina, Manchuria, China and hundreds of individual islands in the pacific. If he had not ordered the dropping of the bombs, many hundreds of thousands of people would have died needlessly.
I point these facts out, in order to stand up to the revisionist, hateful slandering of history that is so prevalent in today’s culture.
At least he did his crying without throwing the word "genocide" in, that was kinda refreshing.Another product of our "enlightened" education system. Sad, actually.
It should also be remembered that the swastika and the NAZI ideal of racial purity was brought
back to Germany from Japan. Not the other way around. Germany was proud to cross into France and
destroy their way of life 3 times in 100 years. Since 1945 when we took the war inside their
borders and tore their country to pieces, they have been very peaceful.
At least he did his crying without throwing the word "genocide" in, that was kinda refreshing.
I've noticed the word "genocide" must really be hammered into students nowadays, but apparently the definition of it, is not. Hence the post from Pirate.
Another product of our "enlightened" education system. Sad, actually.
The USAAF did not just arbitrarily decide to kill Japanese civilians. The authorization to drop each bomb came from the President of the United States. The targets were selected specifically because they were industrial centers of military arms. The arms factories were surrounded by residential areas, for their proximity to workers and infrastructure.
Harry S. Truman made the tough call to end the war quickly. In August 1945, the Japanese were still fighting in New Guinea, the Philippines, French Indochina, Manchuria, China and hundreds of individual islands in the pacific. If he had not ordered the dropping of the bombs, many hundreds of thousands of people would have died needlessly.
I point these facts out, in order to stand up to the revisionist, hateful slandering of history that is so prevalent in today’s culture.
At least he did his crying without throwing the word "genocide" in, that was kinda refreshing.
I've noticed the word "genocide" must really be hammered into students nowadays, but apparently the definition of it, is not. Hence the post from Pirate.
You really have to wonder just what kind of crap is being taught in public schools these days.
I thought we were having a friendly historical debate?
I was simply expressing my point of view on this historic event. I think that decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan was ill-advised, although, I can see both sides of the argument and acknowledge that you make some valid points in favor of the decision.
However, I don't think its appropriate to for you to question me or my education, and I resent the implication that I am a "historical revisionist" or somehow not a patriot just because I disagree with some of the past decisions our government has made.
Hey! I actually complemented you.I thought we were having a friendly historical debate?
I was simply expressing my point of view on this historic event. I think that decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan was ill-advised, although, I can see both sides of the argument and acknowledge that you make some valid points in favor of the decision.
However, I don't think its appropriate to for you to question me or my education, and I resent the implication that I am a "historical revisionist" or somehow not a patriot just because I disagree with some of the past decisions our government has made.
Your patriotism was not the issue. Your opinions, however, are based in large part upon the education which you received, and that is what I would say lay somewhere between revisionist and outright crap.
Hey! I actually complemented you.
And as I have said, at least twice in this thread, you have every right to voice your opinion, wait for it, partially because of the atomic bombs. Of course, we will never know just how much influence the atomic bombs had on other countries who may have had ill will towards us, but I will guarantee you, our freedoms have been much safer because the bombs existed, and were used.
Anyone who has never visited the USAF museum at Dayton OH, should make every effort to go there. The Bockscar (Nagasaki bomber), is on display there, and is an awesome sight to see.
I don't really understand why we're arguing about something that happened 67 years ago