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Obama to Be First Sitting President to Visit Hiroshima

And you would have preferred a land invasion of the Japan home islands? Are you aware of Okinawa. and what transpired? Thousands of Japanese took there own lives to avoid the American devils, imagine what would have taken place if the Allies would have had to slog there way thru the home islands. Japan is over it, take a leaf from there book.

I'd have preferred an acceptance of their offer of conditional surrender. But that's beside the point. The point is that the intentional killing of civilians is inherently wrong.

And if you don't like it being discussed, you are perfectly free to not read the thread.
 
As long as he doesn't indicate it was wrong to use the bomb, it's fine by me.

I agree. He should visit. An American President should have visited already. But he should not apologize for it. And I say that firmly believing that dropping the bombs was a mistake.
 
I'd have preferred an acceptance of their offer of conditional surrender. But that's beside the point. The point is that the intentional killing of civilians is inherently wrong.

And if you don't like it being discussed, you are perfectly free to not read the thread.

I am a historian, educated and trained, I have no problem discussing the issue. First: You did not answer the question, just used a diversion tactic, look up Okinawa. You will see the error of your ways. Second: Truman never regretted dropping the bomb, nor should he, it brought the war to an early end, obviously you would have preferred 1 million US casualties and even more Japanese deaths, it would have made Hiroshima look like a firecracker. You can apologize all you want, most disagree with you, especially the boys who got to come home in one piece.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

I tutor history to make extra cash, I will give you a discount.
 
He will. He may not say it in so many words, but he'll bust his ass apologizing for it.

Actually according to today's New York Times he's been adamant with his staff about not wanting there to be any hint of apology in his visit.
 
I'd have preferred an acceptance of their offer of conditional surrender. But that's beside the point. The point is that the intentional killing of civilians is inherently wrong.

fine, then YOU go over there and apologize. However the president is supposed to speak for the entire country, and the entire country doesn't think dropping the bomb was the wrong move. So if he goes and pays his respects and keeps has yammer shut, I'm fine with it. but if he gives some BS apology then he is a moron. How much can one leader apologize until he looks utterly feckless and weak to entire planet?! enough already
 
I am a historian, educated and trained, I have no iproblem discussing the issue. You did not answer the question, just used a diversion tactic, look up Okinawa. You will see the error of your ways. Truman never regretted dropping the bomb, nor should he, it brought the war to an early end, obviously you would have preferred 1 million US casualties and even more Japanese deaths, it would have made Hiroshima look like a firecracker. You can apologize all you want, most disagree with you, especially the boys who got to come home in one piece.

What do you make of the fact that many senior Naval leaders, including Leahy and Nimitz, saw the dropping of the bombs as unnecessary?
 
What do you make of the fact that many senior Naval leaders, including Leahy and Nimitz, saw the dropping of the bombs as unnecessary?

Links please



And then I will answer
 
I'd have preferred an acceptance of their offer of conditional surrender. But that's beside the point. The point is that the intentional killing of civilians is inherently wrong.

And if you don't like it being discussed, you are perfectly free to not read the thread.

I am a historian, educated and trained, I have no problem discussing the issue. First: You did not answer the question, just used a diversion tactic, look up Okinawa. You will see the error of your ways. Second: Truman never regretted dropping the bomb, nor should he, it brought the war to an early end, obviously you would have preferred 1 million US casualties and even more Japanese deaths, it would have made Hiroshima look like a firecracker. You can apologize all you want, most disagree with you, especially the boys who got to come home in one piece.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

I tutor history to make extra cash, I will give you a discount.

What do you make of the fact that many senior Naval leaders, including Leahy and Nimitz, saw the dropping of the bombs as unnecessary?

I strongly remember reading a book called "A Torch to the Enemy" by Martin Caidin, and it was about the firebombing of Japan. He pointed out that according to our studies at the time, the atomic bombs only accounted for about two percent of the total bombing damage to the Japanese mainland. Almost all the rest was from firebombing, wherein the B-29's would have all their defensive armament and ammo removed except for the tail gunner (I verified this in a talk with an old B-29 pilot during a layover at the airport in Atlanta - he was surprised to hear me ask him about it)...and they were loaded to the gills with (if I remember correctly) napalm-laced firebombs.

The total killed in the firebombing campaign far outstripped the atomic bombs. We should not minimize the horror of the atomic bombs, but if the atomic bombs were a war crime, then how much greater a crime would the 50-times-greater-damage firebombing campaign have been?

One last thing - I never really hated nuclear weapons until I read Richard Rhodes' "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" - Pulitzer prize winner, and an incredible book. But as much as I do hate nuclear weapons and all war where civilian populations are targeted, I cannot honestly fault Truman or our leadership there for their choices in WWII. It was a different time and our nation was tired of war...and they all knew, from how terrible the fights for the relatively minuscule outer islands had been along the way, just how unimaginable the fight would be for the Japanese home islands.

I am a liberal and a progressive, and I take to heart Grant's declaration that the only thing half so tragic as a battle lost, is a battle won...but we should not apologize for our actions in WWII.
 
I am a historian, educated and trained, I have no problem discussing the issue. First: You did not answer the question, just used a diversion tactic, look up Okinawa. You will see the error of your ways. Second: Truman never regretted dropping the bomb, nor should he, it brought the war to an early end, obviously you would have preferred 1 million US casualties and even more Japanese deaths, it would have made Hiroshima look like a firecracker. You can apologize all you want, most disagree with you, especially the boys who got to come home in one piece.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

I tutor history to make extra cash, I will give you a discount.

Hey - "an historian", doggone it!
 
You are using Fidel Castro as your source? Why?

And please, go ahead and lay out the "objective analysis" that exposes the normalization of diplomatic relations, after 40 years of embargoes, as a "failure."


It's always a failure when America capitulates to dictators. Or didn't you know that already?
 
Hey - "an historian", doggone it!

Hehe

I type fast but not accurately lol

I have to read my own term papers several times for the typos

It's a case of my thoughts moving faster than my fingers
 
Obama should visit Baghdad. That would at least be a place where he could see the fruits of his labor.

Should Bush and Clinton join him? Also while we are at it should Bush 1 and should we dig up Reagan and have him join as well?
 
Hehe

I type fast but not accurately lol

I have to read my own term papers several times for the typos

It's a case of my thoughts moving faster than my fingers

Hey - we all make those mistakes...and proofreading's a pain in the butt. I don't know if you've ever published a book, but proofreading one's own work is a royal pain. I read somewhere that 95 percent of writing a book comes after the book is written, and that's absolutely true. I figured out on my own that the best way is to read it out loud to myself...but it's still a long, painful slog. Here's the book - it's been made obsolete by the Syrian civil war and by CRISPR gene editing technology, but I still think it's a heck of a read in my own humbly unbiased opinion.
 
Hehe

I type fast but not accurately lol

I have to read my own term papers several times for the typos

It's a case of my thoughts moving faster than my fingers

Have you tried to partake less ????
 
Hey - we all make those mistakes...and proofreading's a pain in the butt. I don't know if you've ever published a book, but proofreading one's own work is a royal pain. I read somewhere that 95 percent of writing a book comes after the book is written, and that's absolutely true. I figured out on my own that the best way is to read it out loud to myself...but it's still a long, painful slog. Here's the book - it's been made obsolete by the Syrian civil war and by CRISPR gene editing technology, but I still think it's a heck of a read in my own humbly unbiased opinion.

Wow

I was not aware of that particular genocide, holy crap. It's amazing how the West treats African history, including myself. I received my MA in European History, so Africa was only covered in relation to Colonization by the Europeans. I have been looking at taking a history course during the summer, I am a nerd, I will take history classes because I enjoy the material. Perhaps I should look at broadening my knowledge on African history with a formal class. Is Africa your main area of interest?
 
What do you make of the fact that many senior Naval leaders, including Leahy and Nimitz, saw the dropping of the bombs as unnecessary?

Not even the point. This 7 year apology tour of his has been embarrassment enough. Why go there and do it? Maybe it's the last country left on the planet he hasn't apologized too.

And show me where Japan has apologized for all the horrible sh!t it was guilty of during the war. atrocity after atrocity. where are all THEIR apologies?! you think Obama will demand one? don't make me laugh. not his style. we grovel to THEM, not the other way round. thank god this nightmare is almost over. Even hillary has more balls than this clown.

p.s. If he doesn't end up apologizing I will be shocked based on everything I know about this guy. but if he doesn't I take back.......20% of what I said.
 
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Have you tried to partake less ????

Why would I do that, it keeps my PTSD in check. Do you ask other Vets on meds the same queestion? Or is it just me?
 
Wow

I was not aware of that particular genocide, holy crap. It's amazing how the West treats African history, including myself. I received my MA in European History, so Africa was only covered in relation to Colonization by the Europeans. I have been looking at taking a history course during the summer, I am a nerd, I will take history classes because I enjoy the material. Perhaps I should look at broadening my knowledge on African history with a formal class. Is Africa your main area of interest?

Um...sorry, but that's a work of fiction. In the book, the villain develops an influenza based on the 1918 H1N1 virus that only affects one race, releases that virus into America to inflame racial tensions to start a race-based civil war in America...and while things get really bad, the law of unintended consequences takes some tragic turns. I wrote it in 2011 with the events taking place beginning in 2015...and the world decided to change things where my book's now obsolete.

But feel free to read the first few chapters in the Amazon link - maybe you'll get hooked anyway!
 
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