Text 36695, 77 rader
Skriven 2006-08-13 18:12:00 av LEE LOFASO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av WARD DOSSCHE
Ärende: Re: Frank - take a break
================================
Hello Ward,

>LL>The equivalent of an Army ROTC unit does
>LL>not count as being a realistic military threat to our forces.  And

>DC>Far from that.  Hiroshima was a major army staging area.

WD>I would say that is correct.

But never bombed during WWII.  And posed no threat at the time we
atomized the place.

WD>Then again the Japanese had nothing left to carry that military anywhere
WD>off-shore. So as long as whatever 'military stuff' there was remained on the
WD>island and no Americans showed themselves within shooting-range it all serve
WD>no purpose.

WD>You can't eat guns, you can't eat shells ...

Exactly.  And at the time, Japan had very little 'military stuff'
left to defend itself with.  And certainly none to conduct offensive
operations.

WD>Just let the combined Allied naval forces cruise 30 miles off-shore, out of
WD>range, and send a reconnaissance plane every month or so to see how many had
WD>starved yet.

A naval blockade would have worked, forcing Japan to agree to an
unconditional surrender within six to eight weeks.  However, Truman
had one problem.  One very big problem - Joe Stalin.

WD>My point is that most likely Truman and his military advisors wanted the USS
WD>out of the area. No Potsdam-repeat, no split-up of Japanese territory, no
WD>commies based in the Pacific. For that purpose they needed something quick a
WD>decisive which, unfortunately for the victims, were nuclear arms.

The Soviets takeover of the Kiril Islands should give you a hint as
to why Truman chose to drop atomic bombs on populated Japanese cities.
To this date, Japan and Russia remain in a state of war, with no peace
treaty ever having been signed between the two adversaries.  Remember,
Japan and Russia had fought a war just two decades prior to WWII.  And
that war was brought to a close by U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt, who
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

WD>It's a discussion which will never end conclusively. I wish to keep in mind
WD>stories which my parents could tell from the Nazi-occupation and subsequent
WD>liberation and be thankfull I do not live under such conditions where such
WD>decisions needed to be taken.

Could such a war happen today?  A war that left over 50 million people
dead, worldwide?  Had atomic bombs not been dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, would even bigger bombs have been used on other cities later?
Would Berlin still be around?  Would Havana still be around?  Would
Kruschev have launched nuclear missiles from Cuba?  Would Kennedy have
done away with Moscow?

WD>We are not part of the decision-making system that led uo to the dropping of
WD>nuclear weapons on Japan. I do not exclude the reasoning for that is in seal
WD>documents somewhere in Washington and perhaps will never be opened because
WD>maybe we do not want to know what's in them. The same as piles and piles of
WD>WW2-files on SOE-operations in Europe are locked somewhere in England not to
WD>opened for a generation or two because too many descendants of people sent i
WD>secret battle and who were lost still are alive.

Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie.

WD>War is hell.

But so much fun, which is why man continues to make war on his brother.
Of course, once it is all over, the gals want to make love, not war...

--Lee


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