A Question

[Unkotare]

There were some interesting responses to this question - and it's a tough one.

Do you consider the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be war crimes? ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

 

[mememe]

Yes!

 

[whitehall]

Mass killing of civilians to force the surrender of a crazy regime might seem crazy today but in retrospect it seems to be an accepted concept as long as you were on the winning side.

 

[Mr. H.]

If the A-bombs hadn't been used back then, demonstrating their truly destructive power and ability to annihilate, they would more likely be used today. It was a one-off of sorts.

Conventional bombings during WWII were no less of a "war crime".

Nope. They asked for it, they got it.

 

[Unkotare]

It was war alright. A bitter, hard-fought war. But did those many, many tens of thousands of civilians "ask for it"? It's a fair question no matter where you stand on the decision.

 

[Mr. H.]

Litterally, no. As citizens ruled by their leader, yes.

 

[Unkotare]

Litterally, no. As citizens ruled by their leader, yes.

So, the systematic execution of every civilian in the country would have been ok with you (if such a thing were pracitcally possible).

 

[Mr. H.]

That wasn't the intent nor the objective of dropping those big badda bombs.

 

[PoliticalChic]

There were some interesting responses to this question - and it's a tough one.

Do you consider the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be war crimes? ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Without the dropping of the bomb, the emperor and the 'peace faction' would not have been able to overcome the military's government strength, and negotiate an end to the war.



[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2AhV-QU1_M]Prager University: Hiroshima -- Why America Dropped the Bomb - YouTube[/ame]

 

[mememe]

Mass killing of civilians to force the surrender of a crazy regime might seem crazy today but in retrospect it seems to be an accepted concept as long as you were on the winning side.

So, mass murder of civilians by Nazis is an "accepted concept"? And if Nazi would've won, you would see nothing wrong with their mass murder and genocide policies?

Interesting...

 

[mememe]

If the A-bombs hadn't been used back then, demonstrating their truly destructive power and ability to annihilate, they would more likely be used today. It was a one-off of sorts.

Conventional bombings during WWII were no less of a "war crime".

Nope. They asked for it, they got it.

Anything to justify crimes against humanity perpetrated by the US!

Then why did you, Americans, got outraged by 9/11? After all, it was a "one-off of sorts". Or do you have different moral boundaries for yourselves and for the rest of the world?

 

[there4eyeM]

Very good question.
The bombs certainly were not necessary. The war was over. The Japanese 'rulers' just had to realize it. If the bombs had not been dropped and the US had not invaded (which also was not necessary), more Japanese citizens probably would have died from starvation due to the idiocy of the regime before it finally surrendered, but then the deaths would have been on them.
As it is, the US owns the onus of being the first to use the 'weapons', and on civilians to boot.
Some think it was done to show Joe Stalin that the bomb worked and would be used.
Some think is was used when and where it was because the victims were just 'little yellow people'.
Whatever the final decision was based on, we could have done better.

 

[mememe]

Very good question.
The bombs certainly were not necessary. The war was over. The Japanese 'rulers' just had to realize it. If the bombs had not been dropped and the US had not invaded (which also was not necessary), more Japanese citizens probably would have died from starvation due to the idiocy of the regime before it finally surrendered, but then the deaths would have been on them.
As it is, the US owns the onus of being the first to use the 'weapons', and on civilians to boot.
Some think it was done to show Joe Stalin that the bomb worked and would be used.
Some think is was used when and where it was because the victims were just 'little yellow people'.
Whatever the final decision was based on, we could have done better.

Two points:

1. It was suppose to be JOINT US/USSR war against Japan!
2. You can't play Mystic Meg with history -- "...more Japanese citizens probably would have died from..."

 

[there4eyeM]

?

 

[Mr. H.]

If the A-bombs hadn't been used back then, demonstrating their truly destructive power and ability to annihilate, they would more likely be used today. It was a one-off of sorts.

Conventional bombings during WWII were no less of a "war crime".

Nope. They asked for it, they got it.

Anything to justify crimes against humanity perpetrated by the US!

Then why did you, Americans, got outraged by 9/11? After all, it was a "one-off of sorts". Or do you have different moral boundaries for yourselves and for the rest of the world?

I dunno, do we? The U.S. is the humitarian to the world. We've proven that countless times.

 

[there4eyeM]

"The U.S. is the humitarian to the world. We've proven that countless times."

The American people, perhaps. Various administrations have not demonstrated that.

 

[mememe]

If the A-bombs hadn't been used back then, demonstrating their truly destructive power and ability to annihilate, they would more likely be used today. It was a one-off of sorts.

Conventional bombings during WWII were no less of a "war crime".

Nope. They asked for it, they got it.

Anything to justify crimes against humanity perpetrated by the US!

Then why did you, Americans, got outraged by 9/11? After all, it was a "one-off of sorts". Or do you have different moral boundaries for yourselves and for the rest of the world?

I dunno, do we? The U.S. is the humitarian to the world. We've proven that countless times.

I love your sense of humour!

 

[mememe]

"The U.S. is the humitarian to the world. We've proven that countless times."

The American people, perhaps. Various administrations have not demonstrated that.

If American people genuinely believe they live in democracy and choose their government that acts on their behalf and with their permission, it means American people are as guilty of atrocities committed by various US governments, as the US governments/ruling elites.

 

[signelect]

When you start a world war don't complain because I have a bigger bader bomb. He was a horrible tradgey and in retrospect I wish it had never been invented but it has prevented another world war for the past 70 years. I saw some pictuers of the two cities a few days ago and compared to Detroit it is miraculous.

 

[there4eyeM]

"The U.S. is the humitarian to the world. We've proven that countless times."

The American people, perhaps. Various administrations have not demonstrated that.

If American people genuinely believe they live in democracy and choose their government that acts on their behalf and with their permission, it means American people are as guilty of atrocities committed by various US governments, as the US governments/ruling elites.

The American people are in the same situation as you and your country. What the government does is not a reflection of majority will. Changing things is difficult due to the vast resources of 'the powers that be' to obfuscate, change topics and impose new problems before old ones are settled. People have personal lives to live and cannot keep up the energy to investigate, organize and act.
In an absolute sense, it is correct that they would be included in the guilt. If reasoning wants to be so unmerciful, have a field day.

And, yes, Dresden was just as bad.