In an interview several years ago... Tibbets, then a 30-year-old colonel, never expressed regret over his role. He said it was his patriotic duty and the right thing to do. "I'm not proud that I killed 80,000 people, but I'm proud that I was able to start with nothing, plan it and have it work as perfectly as it did," he said in a 1975 interview. "You've got to take stock and assess the situation at that time. We were at war. ... You use anything at your disposal." He added: "I sleep clearly every night." Comments...Does this logic still hold today?
No he didn't. He barbarically slaughtered hundreds of thousands, including women and children. Japan was getting ready to surrender anyway. To those who really know history -- not the sterilized version found in school textbooks, they would know that the entire war was contrived and that the attack on Pearl Harbor was allowed to occur. Because people don't know their history, such things will continue to happen.
If you call that logic. Then again, logic is whatever we're told is logic. Unfortunately, this mentality persists still today, and people can do horrendous things if they can be duped into believing it's for the greater good of "their" country. Because of this mentality, nothing will ever change and people will continue fighting contrived enemies, never fully understanding what's really behind the illusion they're given to believe.
He came of age during much different times than ours. The Depression was a very recent memory, without any guarantee the country wouldn't return to a post war hard times. The outcome of the war was by no means certain. The war in Europe had been concluded, but the optimism brought by peace would soon dissipate. The war in the Pacific was still being fought with a high cost. I remember seeing film of, I believe it was the Battle of Okinawa, several wives of Japanese officiers comitted suicide by runnning off mountain cliffs into the sea while holding their kids in their arms. This sort of fanatatism coupled with the Kamakazi attacks certainly would give those planning the invasion of the Japanese islands pause. The logic is, in this sense, the sacrifice of 80,000 civilians times 2 (don't forget Nakasaki) more humane than a possible 1 million battle causualties. Not forgetting its not only participating soldiers are killed/injured but nonparticipating civilians as well.
Probably a negotiated peace would have been possible in 1945. The Americans were convinced they were dealing with subhuman barbarians, and in fact that is just how the Japanese army and marines acted every chance they got. There was also the issue of Japanese leaders fearing for their lives at the hands of their own military if they tried to negotiate. However, negotiation is preferable to mass murder of civilians, if those are the options.
And how do you know Japan was ready to surrender? In case you didn't know they lied once and I'm sure they weren't afraid to lie again. Also, Japan thought of us as rapists and mass murderers when in fact they were the ones doing that. Negotation doesn't work 100% of the time so you have to take drastic measures even though it might not be the right thing. Albert Einstein regreted coming up with the formula.
Imagine the nuclear bombs weren’t released in Japan? Would the war have continued for months or years more? How many people would the extra years of war kill? Would they have been used in another war? Ie Vietnam? If the pilots were German, would The Hague tried them with war crimes? I wonder what would have happened had the pilots not followed mission orders to nuke Japan. Would they have been tried and executed for treason?
It was all pointless. Japan was prepared to surrender but only if the Emporer was granted immunity and left in power. Allies said noway, dropped the bombs, then gave into Japan anyway. They beat Germany senseless. Japan? Oh, it's only your first world war this century, will let it slide. In the end, no reason to bomb them. 60,000 people killed for absolutely no reason. And we wonder why revisionist history has taken root in Japan and the leaders routinely pay their respects at Yasukuni Shrine. Banzai indeed
US intelligence knew about the upcoming attack in pear harbor. But they needed to have the attack occur, so they could get the country motivated for an international war.
And to those who actually know history they'd know the Pacific War had its roots in American imperialism and gunboat diplomacy going back nearly a century in the region. It wasn't contrived lol. It was a reaction to Japan giving up being Americas junkyard dog in Asia and being their own. Combine that with rising nationalism and you've got a problem... a problem that never happens if Perry and the US navy dont sail into Yokohama harbor and force the Japanese to put down the swords used to defend themselves and pick up rifles to defend American interests in the region. I'd kinda wanna bomb us too
People against using the Bomb should do a thorough research on 'Operation Ketsu-Go'. Japan had NO intention of surrendering. It would have been a bloody disaster if 'Operation Olympic' had happened and very likely a failure too.
August 6, and 9th mark the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Hiroshima before and after