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jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
Mon May 30, 2016, 07:10 AM May 2016

A-bombs taught U.S. how to justify attacks abroad [View all]





MAY 29, 2016

WASHINGTON – On May 27, Barack Obama became the first sitting American president to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the site of the world’s first atomic bombing. Though highly photogenic, the visit was otherwise one that avoided acknowledging the true historical meaning of the place.
...
The use of the term “myth” is appropriate. Harry Truman, in his 1945 announcement of the bomb, focused on vengeance, and on the new, extraordinary power the United States alone possessed. The military necessity argument was largely created later, in a 1947 article defending the use of the atomic bomb, written by former Secretary of War Henry Stimson, though actually drafted by McGeorge Bundy (later an architect of the Vietnam War) and James Conant (a scientist who helped build the original bomb). Conant described the article’s purpose at the beginning of the Cold War as “You have to get the past straight before you do much to prepare people for the future.”
...
The national belief that no moral wrong was committed with the atomic bombs, and thus there was no need for reflection and introspection (the blithe way Nagasaki is treated as a historical afterthought — “and Nagasaki, too” — only drives home the point), echoes forward through today. It was 9/11, the new Pearl Harbor, that started a series of immoral acts allegedly servicing, albeit destructively and imperfectly, the moral imperative of saving lives by killing. America’s decisions on war, torture, rendition and indefinite detention are seen by most as the distasteful but necessary actions of fundamentally good people against fundamentally evil ones. Hiroshima set in motion a sweeping, national generalization that if we do it, it is right.
...
We may, in fact, think we are practically doing the people of Afghanistan a favor by killing some of them, as we believe we did for tens of thousands of Japanese whose lives might have been lost in a land invasion of their home islands to otherwise end WWII. There is little debate in the “war on terror” because debate is largely unnecessary; the myth of Hiroshima says an illusion of expediency wipes away any concerns over morality. And with that neatly tucked away in our conscience, all that is left is pondering where to strike next.
...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/05/29/commentary/japan-commentary/bombs-taught-u-s-justify-attacks-abroad/#.V0wdoR9vFQJ



Some things never change...
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And there are folks right here on DU malaise May 2016 #1
Imperialism?? Ms. Yertle May 2016 #12
While we cannot avoid .... Delver Rootnose May 2016 #37
America came out of WWII with new 'protectorates' that they still control the Marshall Islands, Monk06 May 2016 #103
Your first sentence has been quickly proven correct. pangaia May 2016 #13
Oh? How so? skepticscott May 2016 #27
And what about Dresden .... Delver Rootnose May 2016 #41
Exactly skepticscott May 2016 #52
+1000 sinkingfeeling May 2016 #22
Yup. Cognitive dissonance is even more powerful than the A bomb RufusTFirefly May 2016 #38
This^^^ Silver_Witch May 2016 #80
If only you had been in Japan in the 1930s to write those words. Nuclear Unicorn May 2016 #77
Evil empire is not too extreme of a term for the US, IMO Fast Walker 52 May 2016 #2
cool! Try "Great Satan" on for size, too uhnope May 2016 #4
Lol ! whathehell May 2016 #16
That's your response? Really? brush May 2016 #47
Yeah, I guess we couldve left the world to the Russians, Germans & Japanese 7962 May 2016 #70
Typical. brush May 2016 #73
Best you got? Of course. 7962 May 2016 #75
Try reading Kinzer's book and get back to me then. brush May 2016 #76
= can't defend argument, so suggests a book uhnope May 2016 #105
You come in on the tail end of an argument days later. Read the rest of the posts on this. brush May 2016 #108
Absolutely. The US is a fascist, racist, warmongering, n'er-do-well great Satan Albertoo May 2016 #51
See post #25 & 64 7962 May 2016 #69
You've stepped in it now you, you America hater you !! Where is your Stalin, Mao, Tojo derp ? Monk06 May 2016 #98
More were killed in other operations in WW2 than the A-bomb. 7962 May 2016 #3
The Japanese conventially forget that they set in motion events leading up to Hiroshima. TxGrandpa May 2016 #6
The same people who will always argue against the necessity of war skepticscott May 2016 #8
You are exactly right. I've seen it several times. 7962 May 2016 #39
And of course the Japanese .... Delver Rootnose May 2016 #45
Oak Ridge? Ms. Yertle May 2016 #14
My Dad was sent there during the Second World War instead of being drafted. TxGrandpa May 2016 #42
One has to wonder skepticscott May 2016 #10
No. The atomic bombs did not end the war with Japan. pangaia May 2016 #11
In any meaningful sense skepticscott May 2016 #19
Err . . . yes they did. MrModerate May 2016 #26
Well said. And meaningless to many here who refuse to see reality 7962 May 2016 #43
err no the didn't. pangaia May 2016 #67
Wrong. "...the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb.” 7962 May 2016 #79
That is contrafactual . . . MrModerate May 2016 #102
Yeah, cause Japan surrendering 28 days later Cosmocat May 2016 #31
They surrendered much sooner than that. skepticscott May 2016 #44
You are correct Cosmocat May 2016 #48
".. the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb.” Hirohito. 7962 May 2016 #54
"Hiroshima set in motion a sweeping, national generalization that if we do it, it is right." uhnope May 2016 #5
The author should really learn US history better skepticscott May 2016 #7
Well US "history" jimlup May 2016 #20
And do you acknowledge skepticscott May 2016 #23
Obviously jimlup May 2016 #34
Thank you for making my point skepticscott May 2016 #36
Does this make you happy jimlup May 2016 #68
Your saying it does not make it so skepticscott May 2016 #89
I'm not dodging jimlup May 2016 #106
No, you haven't done your research skepticscott May 2016 #107
boring... jimlup May 2016 #112
Nice try, but not even close skepticscott Jun 2016 #113
So was the ... Delver Rootnose May 2016 #49
The carnage from the A bombs didnt matter, but Russia merely declaring war did? Horseshit. 7962 May 2016 #53
It wouldn't be DU without some pintobean May 2016 #9
+1. n/t whathehell May 2016 #18
I don't think other points of view are ever shameful, nor is a memorial a time to whitewash. But jtuck004 May 2016 #24
Today is a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice pintobean May 2016 #29
I am remembering ALL of those who made the sacrifice, not just those who suit my jtuck004 May 2016 #32
What better day to remember the total and complete insanity of war mountain grammy May 2016 #55
Good Read!! lastlib May 2016 #15
Are you talking about us skepticscott May 2016 #21
What does something else that was stupid, tragic, and useless tell you, that you seem to jtuck004 May 2016 #30
Not an answer skepticscott May 2016 #33
Have a happy day, sweetheart...bye now. jtuck004 May 2016 #35
Feel free to stick your fingers in your ears skepticscott May 2016 #40
I'll say it for both. lastlib May 2016 #56
Also not an answer skepticscott May 2016 #61
Then I can't help you. lastlib May 2016 #72
Funny how all of the America bashers here skepticscott May 2016 #90
We've hosted a few Japanese students. StoneCarver May 2016 #17
Americans would be dying to defend America's supposed interests. Japan doesn't have jtuck004 May 2016 #63
Japan no longer has the monopoly on "cheap products". We'd still defend them. 7962 May 2016 #81
Japan is no longer the source of "cheap products" and hasn't been for some time. Adrahil May 2016 #91
If one slows down their reading comprehension is often improved. I said, that. is. jtuck004 May 2016 #93
I'm not really sure you can say that either.... Adrahil May 2016 #95
My family hosted a Japanese exchange student from Kobe. Feeling the Bern May 2016 #66
Unit 731 in Harbin, Rape of Nanking, Sook Jing Massacre, Parit Sulong, Manila, Singapore Feeling the Bern May 2016 #25
Comments like this.... Delver Rootnose May 2016 #50
Ah, but those Chinese were probably as racist as the genocidal Americans Albertoo May 2016 #57
Best response ever 7962 May 2016 #58
Oh, and the biological weapons used in Zhejiang and Jiangxi to poison the farm land as the Japanese Feeling the Bern May 2016 #64
Oh, for fucks sake Cosmocat May 2016 #28
Exactly...We should have fought the Japanese by bombing our homeland. ileus May 2016 #46
The U.S. and United Kingdom had been firebombing German cities for years. LS_Editor May 2016 #59
^^^ well put ^^^ Albertoo May 2016 #62
A poor analogy. davidthegnome May 2016 #60
Japan Times: Impartiality at its finest! Hey, Japanese times, why not admit your shame with the Feeling the Bern May 2016 #65
All of your assertions are true. But that doesn't make the Op-Ed false RufusTFirefly May 2016 #83
" when you criticize your country, that means you hate your country." Is how the government, Gompers jtuck004 May 2016 #88
When Japan apologizes for starting the war and brutalizing the Chinese for 12 years, Feeling the Bern May 2016 #100
OR, it's just another red herring in the continual war on justice in order to justify greed. Festivito May 2016 #71
No, not really discntnt_irny_srcsm May 2016 #74
To end the war with Japan....I would glad see the entire Japan island go up beachbumbob May 2016 #78
Lovely. Everyone must acknowledge that American lives are more valuable. RufusTFirefly May 2016 #84
Not sure I understand this. Yes, war, that happens. Adrahil May 2016 #92
That certainly is the case in a war that America did not start. Nt hack89 May 2016 #99
This will not help you when they make up the lists for the diplomatic positions in the jtuck004 May 2016 #87
Evidence suggests that Americans place less value on human life than other people, cpwm17 May 2016 #82
Classy, Hate-America-First bullshit on Memorial Day. Odin2005 May 2016 #85
I guess those Mexican incursions One_Life_To_Give May 2016 #86
I swear, if 9/11 happened today, you people would be cheering. name not needed May 2016 #94
That makes absolutely no sense. cpwm17 May 2016 #96
Thank you for making the author's point with such grace. rofl. n/t jtuck004 May 2016 #97
one of our largest shames larkrake May 2016 #101
OTOH the bomb also ushered in the most peaceful 70 years in human history Recursion May 2016 #104
+1 uhnope May 2016 #109
The piece completely ignores American military interventions prior to World War II. Act_of_Reparation May 2016 #110
Of course Japan has a nice, fat Blue_Tires May 2016 #111
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