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I've stood at the edge of the cliff in Okinawa where mothers threw they children to their deaths and leaped after them while American servicemen pleaded to dissuade them. I've read the history of the Japanese military commanders attempting to stop the Emperor's speech from being aired so that they could continue the fight even after two atomic bombs had been detonated over their cities, histories written by Japanese scholars. Still, I hear Americans damn Truman for his decision simply because they are ignorant of these things or hear them and still don't care. What say you?
Warfare
Ethics
Decisions
Politics
Diplomacy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 37
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It was unfortunate that we had to win the war with those means, but those bombs save a lot of American lives and their allies. I feel Japan should've surrendered after the first bomb. Would've saved more lives.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
It saved not only American lives, it also saved Japanese lives, it saved the lives of people interned by the Japaneses, it saved Chinese lives... it saved European lives as it freed up resources that where used for the Marshall Plan - resources that otherwise would have been consumed during a drawn out ground campaign
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The bombs needed to be dropped to break the Japanese spirit and to show the world how terrible atomic weapons are.
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Capt Michael Greene
WWII in Europe pretty much proved that strategic bombing does not break the will of the people; it only makes them hate you more.
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CPL Robert Ray
"I am become Death, Destroyer of worlds." I think this quote pretty well sums up what the scientists were thinking at the time.
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CPT Joseph K Murdock
I am pretty sure the scientists who had a modicum of compassion have thought of the birth or a radically new weapon and how it relates to humanity.
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PO3 Shayne Seibert
Capt Michael Greene - Strategic bombing was effective, which was why they hated us so much. They also allowed for 6m jews to be killed, so there isn't a whole lot of morality in a population like that.
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MAJ Andrew Ready
its not really fair to arm chair QB this. Totally different generations looking at this from a totally different set of eyes
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CSM Thomas McGarry
MAJ Andrew Ready - Major-Perhaps you should speak to a WWII Vet who was preparing for the Invasion of Japan prior to the bombs being dropped-I think you'll get your answer pretty quickly!!
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MAJ Andrew Ready
CSM Thomas McGarry - i agree. what people think about it today and what people thought 60 years ago is like comparing apples and oranges.
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CPL Robert Ray
MAJ Andrew Ready - Sir, I think history has counted the reasons and reasonings quite thoroughly. To stop the war where it was in September of 1945 while the nation of Japan was still intact as opposed to continuing to grind through the islands of that nation at horrific cost to all sides. Ultimately, it was the only way to end the fanatic march of the Japanese people, both military and civilian and the only thing that would have gotten Hirohito to call a stop to it all. At least that is my humble opinion on this subject as an historian.
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