Bombs dropped on Japan saved millions of lives

[Earl]

Bombs dropped on Japan saved millions of lives

"War is horrible. People are killed, maimed, emotionally destroyed. Property is destroyed, wealth is consumed. Even the winners lose in protracted wars. In war, the best way to lessen the suffering is to end the war quickly.

This is why the United States and Japan should celebrate the anniversaries of August 6 and 9, 1945. The atomic bombs we dropped on those dates quickly brought WWII to an end saving many millions of lives.

WWII in the Pacific was particularly savage. The Japanese believed in death before dishonor, and surrender was considered dishonorable.

In the battles on island after island thousands of Japanese fought to the death, typically taking one American life for every 4 to 5 Japanese soldier deaths. Typically fewer than 5 percent of Japanese soldiers were captured, usually only those too sick or weak to fight or commit suicide. Many Japanese civilians on these islands died helping their soldiers or committed suicide; the videos of Japanese adults and children jumping off cliffs to their deaths are heartbreaking.

The 73 million Japanese prepared to defend their almost 146,000 square mile homeland to the last man, woman, and child. Everyone who could fight was being trained and armed; children were taught to fight with spears. The death toll promised to be horrendous.

The atomic bombs convinced the Japanese to surrender before the invasion.

While the death toll from the atomic bombs was high, Hiroshima 80,000 and Nagasaki 40,000, they were not extreme in WWII. For example, the March 9-10, 1945 bombing raid on Tokyo took about 100,000 lives, the raids on Hamburg took about 42,000 lives, the raids on London took perhaps 50,000 lives.
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Compared to the perhaps 60-70 million Japanese that might have died in the invasion of Japan, the death toll from the atomic bombs was low and a small price to pay for the lives saved.

The quick Japanese surrender provided other benefits. Had the Soviet Union joined the invasion as planned, Japan may have been divided into US and Soviet sectors, like Germany, and changed the whole post-war history in Asia.

Perhaps more importantly the world saw the destructiveness of these primitive bombs. These convinced the civilized world to avoid use of atomic, now nuclear, weapons.

There are at least 150,000 American soldiers and perhaps a few million descendants of those soldiers who lived because President Truman dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The Japanese people have even more reason to celebrate August 6 and 9, 1945 because nearly every Japanese citizen that lived or was born after WWII owes their lives to those bombs."
https://www.fosters.com/news/2017080...lions-of-lives

[StoneByStone]

Actually, the war was pretty much won even before the atomic bombs were dropped. It was not a necessary evil, it was yet another war crime America committed during WWII.

[Earl]

One of those lives saved was a family member.

The moral...don't plan a sneak attack on America and murder more than 2000 Americans.

[AProudLefty]

Actually, the war was pretty much won even before the atomic bombs were dropped. It was not a necessary evil, it was yet another war crime America committed during WWII.

That's actually very debatable. I don't like what we did, but I think it's necessary. But like I said, it's debatable.

[Charoite]

Well now, if that isn't a crock of shit if I ever heard one. What an ass. Genocide as a perceived preventative measure is about as unholy a thought as possible. Hopefully, you don't claim to be a Christian saying that.

[Anvil Kasseri]

Actually, the war was pretty much won even before the atomic bombs were dropped. It was not a necessary evil, it was yet another war crime America committed during WWII.

An attack on a military target is hardly a war crime.

I am not aware of the US committing any war crimes in WWII.

[Earl]

Actually, the war was pretty much won even before the atomic bombs were dropped. It was not a necessary evil, it was yet another war crime America committed during WWII.

Horse mierda.

"There are at least 150,000 American soldiers and perhaps a few million descendants of those soldiers who lived because President Truman dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The Japanese people have even more reason to celebrate August 6 and 9, 1945 because nearly every Japanese citizen that lived or was born after WWII owes their lives to those bombs."

"The 73 million Japanese prepared to defend their almost 146,000 square mile homeland to the last man, woman, and child. Everyone who could fight was being trained and armed; children were taught to fight with spears. The death toll promised to be horrendous."

[AProudLefty]

Well now, if that isn't a crock of shit if I ever heard one. What an ass. Genocide as a perceived preventative measure is about as unholy a thought as possible. Hopefully, you don't claim to be a Christian saying that.

Yes it was very unholy but what do you suggest that Eisenhower would have done?

[Anvil Kasseri]

Well now, if that isn't a crock of shit if I ever heard one. What an ass. Genocide as a perceived preventative measure is about as unholy a thought as possible. Hopefully, you don't claim to be a Christian saying that.

What genocide? The one Japan was committing that the A-bombs were intended to help stop?

[StoneByStone]

The moral...don't plan a sneak attack on America and murder more than 2000 Americans.

Mask off. The real reason you think it's good that the bombs were dropped is because you think mass murder of Japanese civilians, who had nothing to do with the Japanese government, was a fair response to the Pearl Harbor attack.

This is why it's important to not dehumanize civilians during war. The Germans were also treated horrifically both during and after WWII.

[Earl]

What genocide? The one Japan was committing that the A-bombs were intended to help stop?

Indeed!

[Charoite]

An attack on a military target is hardly a war crime.

I am not aware of the US committing any war crimes in WWII.

A city full of civilians is not a military target. As is often the case the civilians likely had little hand in what their government and military did.

[Earl]

Mask off. The real reason you think it's good that the bombs were dropped is because you think mass murder of Japanese civilians, who had nothing to do with the Japanese government, was a fair response to the Pearl Harbor attack.

This is why it's important to not dehumanize civilians during war. The Germans were also treated horrifically both during and after WWII.

The moral...don't plan a sneak attack on America and murder more than 2000 Americans.

[Earl]

Mask off. The real reason you think it's good that the bombs were dropped is because you think mass murder of Japanese civilians, who had nothing to do with the Japanese government, was a fair response to the Pearl Harbor attack.

This is why it's important to not dehumanize civilians during war. The Germans were also treated horrifically both during and after WWII.

"There are at least 150,000 American soldiers and perhaps a few million descendants of those soldiers who lived because President Truman dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The Japanese people have even more reason to celebrate August 6 and 9, 1945 because nearly every Japanese citizen that lived or was born after WWII owes their lives to those bombs."

"The 73 million Japanese prepared to defend their almost 146,000 square mile homeland to the last man, woman, and child. Everyone who could fight was being trained and armed; children were taught to fight with spears. The death toll promised to be horrendous."

[Earl]

A city full of civilians is not a military target. As is often the case the civilians likely had little hand in what their government and military did.

"There are at least 150,000 American soldiers and perhaps a few million descendants of those soldiers who lived because President Truman dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The Japanese people have even more reason to celebrate August 6 and 9, 1945 because nearly every Japanese citizen that lived or was born after WWII owes their lives to those bombs."

"The 73 million Japanese prepared to defend their almost 146,000 square mile homeland to the last man, woman, and child. Everyone who could fight was being trained and armed; children were taught to fight with spears. The death toll promised to be horrendous."