Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hiroshima - quit lying to yourselves [View all]Mr.CT
(3 posts)402. Funny How
I wonder how many people saying that Truman is a war criminal or the US is evil for dropping the two atomic bombs realise that they may not be here today if Truman decided to invade Japan.
Alot of Allied men and Japanese civilians and soldiers would of died if Operation Downfall were allowed to commence.Alot more than the 244,000 people who were killed in those two bombings(that figure is using the max range of casualties attributed to the bombings).
While I never want to see the use of atomic/nuclear weapons used in this particular case it actually saved lives.The math is undeniable.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
477 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Every one of those so called civilians were being trained to resist the invasion
tumtum
Aug 2013
#45
Whatever it takes for you to justify the nuclear incineration of a million people, I guess
Scootaloo
Aug 2013
#353
If we had not removed their gov't, we would have fought them again in 20 years.
GreenStormCloud
Aug 2013
#453
They were being trained to kill invading soldiers... That just doesn't sound as blood-thirsty and
Ed Suspicious
Aug 2013
#356
Those civilians fully supported the war effort and willingly sent their sons off to kill innocents
hack89
Aug 2013
#81
Women and children are innocent bystanders, civilized people do not kill women and children
Dragonfli
Aug 2013
#150
Isn't it time to admit that the lives of children are worth less to you than a side order of fries?
Dragonfli
Aug 2013
#166
You have no idea the militarism and regimentation conditioned upon the Japanese citizens under
Nanjing to Seoul
Aug 2013
#371
so I guess you won't bother to read my response after you grossly misinterpret my post
NoMoreWarNow
Aug 2013
#461
Your attitude that the A-bomb was wrong because it killed women and children. . .that's where
Nanjing to Seoul
Aug 2013
#463
sometimes when taking the high road your legs get cut off at the feet
Nanjing to Seoul
Aug 2013
#471
I think Jesus said that in one of the parables: "Stop genocide by killing twice as many of them"
NoMoreWarNow
Aug 2013
#477
I get your point but if we hadnt goaded the japanese into war we wouldnt have needed to bomb them
boomer55
Aug 2013
#98
It is much more complicated than that. There are lots of reasons to think FDR wanted the Japanese
NoMoreWarNow
Aug 2013
#241
I understand, better to kill thousands of women and children civilians than risk your soldier dad.
Dragonfli
Aug 2013
#142
My dad was also a Marine preparing for the invasion of Japan. Casualty estimates were high.
Dollface
Aug 2013
#238
"Stimson estimated that conquering Japan would cost ... five to ten million Japanese fatalities."
Nuclear Unicorn
Aug 2013
#417
Rejected. Your uh dad needs a better lawyer. "Is mother proud of little boy today?" n/t
Catherina
Aug 2013
#194
So starving hundreds of thousands to death was the moral alternative to the atomic bombs?
hack89
Aug 2013
#460
Your appeal falls on deaf ears, the lives of thousands of women and children mean less
Dragonfli
Aug 2013
#178
History is what it is. Once we knew the bomb worked this "invasion force" became a bluff...
hunter
Aug 2013
#101
Thousands of troops weren't sent steaming toward Japan for a "bluff".
Waiting For Everyman
Aug 2013
#262
Operation Downfall is not a myth and yes Virginia it would have cost may more lives
davidpdx
Aug 2013
#348
Sounds more like an irrational emotional response than a cogent argument
whatchamacallit
Aug 2013
#122
Yup, same as my husband's father. They were warned THREE times, for fuck's sake.
whathehell
Aug 2013
#145
You're right, my dad was being sent to be in the first stage invasion too.
Waiting For Everyman
Aug 2013
#218
I'm sure there's quite a few of us here who wouldn't be were it not for those bombs
independentpiney
Aug 2013
#301
"I'll save my tears for those who didn't attack us and those families decimated by the Axis powers".
whathehell
Aug 2013
#153
You want to feel self righteous by having a guilt trip over it, go ahead.
GreenStormCloud
Aug 2013
#203
OOPS. Sorry. In long threads like this I sometimes respond to the wrong one.
GreenStormCloud
Aug 2013
#235
Still no. The extermination of the Jews was meant to exterminate them, not scare them.
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#338
You really believe that the use of atomic weapons wasn't meant to scare anyone?
ET Awful
Aug 2013
#378
You need to learn to read. My argument is that using atomic bombs WAS meant to terrorize.
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#380
Correct. I'm against killing anyone that's innocent. You, apparantely, are okay with it. n/t
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#259
It seems like you can't see the difference between soldier and innocent civilian.
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#261
Finally. Why didn't you say that a long time ago. 'During wartime, killing civilians is fine.'
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#279
I don't think you are ready to hear this but estimates are that as many as 1 million U.S.
HardTimes99
Aug 2013
#29
And while "talking surrender" they were MASSIVELY FORTIFYING Kyushu. For nothing???
Waiting For Everyman
Aug 2013
#298
MacArthur was supreme Allied commander of Pacific forces. Without the decision to use
HardTimes99
Aug 2013
#77
The Japanese alliance with the Nazis was sufficient for that, and it ENDED the war.
kestrel91316
Aug 2013
#93
The "highjackers" were Arab and Saddam had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.
Mnemosyne
Aug 2013
#349
Of all the various cruelties of Imperial Japan, its enslavement of Korean women
HardTimes99
Aug 2013
#66
That was a crime. I ended up rooting for Godzilla, a comet, anything to kill those wretched actors!
freshwest
Aug 2013
#333
Good film? My grandsons are itching to see it, hopefully at the local drivein!
Mnemosyne
Aug 2013
#351
Thanks nadin. They are 12 & 13, perfect for that age group then, but sounds very loud going by the
Mnemosyne
Aug 2013
#358
I watch the genre with the two oldest grandsons. Their reactions and comments are hysterical.
Mnemosyne
Aug 2013
#472
We recently watched The Sorcerer and the White Snake, awesome film! I will hunt down Kurosawa's
Mnemosyne
Aug 2013
#474
You're right. War, especially war against civilians, is always immoral.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Aug 2013
#36
So what were all the innocent Chinese and other Asians the Japanese butchered, tortured to death, an
kestrel91316
Aug 2013
#100
You sure you're in the right place? War is war. I don't give shit how big or how nice.
Dawgs
Aug 2013
#287
The bombung of Hiroshima was all about sending a message to the world, we are the World's number one
JRLeft
Aug 2013
#57
My father was in the Pacific during all that time and as I asked, he explained.
freshwest
Aug 2013
#147
If they were willing to have their population annihilated, why didn't they?
RedCappedBandit
Aug 2013
#95
Do you know how silly that sounds? Of course they would defend themselves against an invading
liberal_at_heart
Aug 2013
#152
So you admit that the Japanese murdered/killed/slaughtered millions of civilians?
tumtum
Aug 2013
#428
We were not in a 'fight for our lives and survival' on August 6, 1945. Japan had lost the war. n/t
godai
Aug 2013
#429
Innocent civilians have been killed for as long as war has existed. We didn't start the trend.
kestrel91316
Aug 2013
#108
I just wish that we had been in a position to nuke Berlin a few years earlier.
Nye Bevan
Aug 2013
#84
So what is your point? You just cherry pick one event and think yourself a genius?
Rex
Aug 2013
#107
One could argue that the dropping of the bomb saved a million Japanese lives
Vinnie From Indy
Aug 2013
#109
Horrible thing to be sure. Justifisble? A debatable point. Thankful someone made
geckosfeet
Aug 2013
#136
It was terrorism. Plain and simple. There is no justification for deliberetaly bombing civilians.
liberal_at_heart
Aug 2013
#139
I've been a member for ages, but this is the first time I've seen this level of crazy about this.
eggplant
Aug 2013
#410
"There was mostly evil intent in all those bombings including the atomic bombings..."
EX500rider
Aug 2013
#306
I know it was war, and a nasty one at that. But those bombings were malicious and cruel beyond
NoMoreWarNow
Aug 2013
#444
No one APPLAUDS them, and your use of that word excuses you from any serious conversation.
Dreamer Tatum
Aug 2013
#250
I was going to ignore this post initially because it seemed kind of obvious
NoMoreWarNow
Aug 2013
#245
from a wider perspective (wider even than the facts that the USSR took Manchuria in 11 DAYS
MisterP
Aug 2013
#280
What the hell difference does it make if it's 1 bomb killing 100,000 people...
Richardo
Aug 2013
#330
I don't disagree with your point, but it does demonstrate a level of naiveté that
Egalitarian Thug
Aug 2013
#340
It's inarguable that innocent people died. It's also inarguable that absolutely guilty people died.
Gravitycollapse
Aug 2013
#361
So incinerating hundreds of thousands of innocent women, children and babies in Tokyo was ok?
DCBob
Aug 2013
#363
Thanks for the post. Funny how this debate has suffered the OJ trial phenomenon...
rwsanders
Aug 2013
#387
I don't see that in the constituion and that is in direct contradiction to the principals set forth
rwsanders
Aug 2013
#435
I believe the atomic bombing were both horrific as well as necessary and correct.
branford
Aug 2013
#436
I believe more in Kirk's answer to the Kobayashi Maru, always another option, but in context
rwsanders
Aug 2013
#441