We lost 3000 people on 9-11 and our nation was horrified.
On August 6, 1945 a United States B-29 bomber released a nuclear weapon over Hiroshima Japan.
The bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, exploded 1900 feet above the city instantly killing 140,000 of the 350,000 inhabitants, completely destroying 2/3 of the city.
This was an attack on a civilian population, not a military encounter.
We don't teach this in our history classes; but we should never forget.
the Ol'Buzzard
If you check out the firebombings of Tokyo and other cities, also totally aimed at civilians, there were not many cities left of any size to destroy. I think the atomic bombs were more for Stalin's benefit than Japan's
ReplyDeleteYes we were in a nuclear race with Germany, but during Vietnam Lt Calley was charged with murder for the killing of 109 Vietnamese. Here the civilian death tole is unimaginable.
DeleteO'B
I'm very concerned that our neo-con overlords seem to be quite nonchalant about the possible use of nuclear weapons. Then again, terrified might be a better word to use than concerned.
ReplyDeleteYes, always a horrifying anniversary.
ReplyDeleteIf Trump has his way this is how the middle east will look! We have to learn from our mistakes or we will most assuredly repeat them. Always good to remember. America needs to acknowledge that it perpetrated the worst civilian attack in history and has continued to interfere in the affairs of other nations. Pride goeth before the fall!
ReplyDeleteThe use of nukes on Japan was a terrible thing but not as terrible as the expected loss of American life in the invasion of the Japanese homeland.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing pleasant about war. Nothing.
That is the boiler plate answer; but should we devolve to Trump's logic and kill the families of ISIS to end US military deaths in the Middle East? If you want to say we needed to make an example of our destructive power and willingness to use it - we made the point in Hiroshima: Why follow with a second carnage five days later? There is no justification in mass murder in wartime or otherwise.
DeleteO'B (Vietnam vet.)
Everyone in the U.S. should be required to read John Hersey's Hiroshima. Horrifying.
ReplyDelete