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Advaita
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 14th, 2005, 8:00 pm

Media around the world takes no remorse at these bombings at all. Why? Why couldn't Truman have dropped the bomb on an 0-population area in view of the top Japanese generals? Was too much at stake to not even contact the generals? (Reportedly Truman spent the whole week playing poker with sailors trying to avoid the S of State who was opposed to this bombing)Importantly, has this lapse in judgement (if it is so) been analysed well over the years?
 
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TraderJoe
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 14th, 2005, 8:12 pm

Why couldn't the Japanese just fire warning shots above our soldier's heads just to demonstrate they could kill us if they wanted to? Why didn't they drop their bombs a few hundred metres away from Pearl Harbour again to demonstrate what they "could" do? Get real.
 
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migalley
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 8:07 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: AdvaitaMedia around the world takes no remorse at these bombings at all. Why? Why couldn't Truman have dropped the bomb on an 0-population area in view of the top Japanese generals? Was too much at stake to not even contact the generals? (Reportedly Truman spent the whole week playing poker with sailors trying to avoid the S of State who was opposed to this bombing)Apparently Secretary of State Byrnes was not opposed to the use of the A-bomb on Japan. Byrnes thought the bombing of Japan could be used to improve the Soviet Union's conduct.
 
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Dook
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 8:34 am

QuoteWhy couldn't the Japanese just fire warning shots above our soldier's heads just to demonstrate they could kill us if they wanted to? Why didn't they drop their bombs a few hundred metres away from Pearl Harbour again to demonstrate what they "could" do? Get real. don't you think there is a fundamental difference between attacking soldiers and attacking a harmless city of civillians? Ofcourse, the attacked soldiers were not part of the war, but still...
 
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TraderJoe
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 9:49 am

Every day hundreds of soldiers on both sides were dying fighting in the Pacific region. Dropping the two atomic bombs actually saved lives. Admittedly a tough choice.
 
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Marine
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 11:12 am

Well said TraderJoe! Dropping the bombs was definitely the correct decision. Japan knew we tested the first Atomic bomb in Alamagordo, New Mexico on July 16, 1945 a good 3 weeks before Hiroshima was hit. We waited 3 days before Nagasaki was hit and Japan surrendered the next day. They could of surrendered the day after Hiroshima but they didn't. Maybe they thought we only had a limited number of bombs and was willing to sacrifice their people's lives. By using the bombs we saved tens of thousands of American GIs. War is hell but Truman needed to make the right decision for the American people not for the Japanese people.I lived in Okinawa, Japan in 95. I heard several stories about how the Japanese soldiers and civilians committed suicide by jumping off a cliff rather then being captured. ~250,000 people lost their lives during the Battle of Okinawa, the majority being Japanese. The allies could not justify continuing this type of battles when they could end the war using the Atomic bombs.
 
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Dook
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 12:15 pm

QuoteBy using the bombs we saved tens of thousands of American GIsIt looks like you are saying that it is better to save tens of thousands of soldiers who belong to your side, than it is to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of civillians of the enemies' side? I'm not sure I agree on that...I would not be able to make the decision to kill hundreds of thousands of women and children, even if their husbands and fathers are killing my fellow countrymen...
 
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migalley
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 1:07 pm

Would you be able to do it if it meant NOT killing millions later on?After all, more Japanese were killed in the firebombing of the big cities by USAAF B-29s under a policy of dropping incendiaries instigated by Curtis E. LeMay than were killed both during and after the A-bomb blasts.
 
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TraderJoe
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 5:00 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: DookQuoteBy using the bombs we saved tens of thousands of American GIsIt looks like you are saying that it is better to save tens of thousands of soldiers who belong to your side, than it is to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of civillians of the enemies' side? I'm not sure I agree on that...I would not be able to make the decision to kill hundreds of thousands of women and children, even if their husbands and fathers are killing my fellow countrymen...Well, luckily for us you were not the general in charge of operations at the time either. Sheesh!
 
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mayl
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 7:20 pm

US on the one hand killed handred of thousand of innocent Japanese people with atomic bombs, but on the other hand allowed the number one war criminal Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, live happily after WWII. There is no justice in the world.
 
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KTE
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 15th, 2005, 7:54 pm

Weren't there two big factors at work then? First, after Okinawa and some of the other battles near and on the Japanese islands, wasn't there a firm belief that the enemy would never surrender, but perhaps fight on to the last man, at an untold cost? Second, after the greatest concentration of brains gathered for one project in history, and then finding that the thing "worked", the U.S. was probably ready to use it, and make several geopolitical statements at the same time, no? Deep regrets required about using it? I would think many of those involved had profound regrets. But as for an apology? No way, not under those circumstances.
 
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Dook
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 18th, 2005, 5:46 am

QuoteWell, luckily for us you were not the general in charge of operations at the time either. Sheesh!No, I would probably make a lousy general, I admit... But there's no need for you to react like that... You americans can be soooo oversensitive...
Last edited by Dook on July 17th, 2005, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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TraderJoe
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 18th, 2005, 9:01 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: DookQuoteWell, luckily for us you were not the general in charge of operations at the time either. Sheesh!No, I would probably make a lousy general, I admit... But there's no need for you to react like that... You americans can be soooo oversensitive... I'm not even American
 
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Dook
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 18th, 2005, 11:41 am

QuoteI'm not even American But you act like one... see?
 
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Advaita
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Is the US atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underanalysed?

July 18th, 2005, 11:58 am

Is there a formal analysis of the problem in literature that I could follow up on?