I have just read an article about a Japanese group protesting something their Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma, said.
His remark, referring to the dropping of bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW II was only partly correct: "I understand that the bombing ended the war, and I think that it couldn't be helped."
Seems Nobuo Miyake, director-general of a group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors "The U.S. justifies the bombings saying they saved American lives, It's outrageous for a Japanese politician to voice such thinking. Japan is a victim."
There is an old remark that popped into my head when I read this crap. "My heart pumps p*** for you."
Some Japanese (the loud mouths, apparently) choose to forget several things. Like how they attacked and decimated Korea, the rape of Nanking, the Bataan Death March, the Sneak Attack on Pearl Harbor and the 1001 other outrages their armed forces perpetrated on civilians when they started World War II.
And make no mistake about it. America had refused to become embroiled with Hitler and the Nazis until Pearl was attacked. The Japanese government had signed the Tripartite Agreement with Germany. It was a "fight one, fight all" pact. (Italy was the other signee.) The great Japanese Admiral Yamamoto had warned against this, but was ignored.
The idea that Japan was a "victim" is enough to turn anyone's stomach. Before the Emperor could publish his surrender, the Japanese Army tried to pull off a coup against him. It failed, primarily, because an aide hid the signed surrender until it could be announced safely.
Japan's military wanted men, women and children to resist an invasion. There were arms caches, ammunition caches, new jet aircraft, all hidden from spying agents and aircraft reconnaisance. Japanese civilians were trained to use these weapons.
The cost in civilian and military deaths and maimings would have been horrendous. And interestingly enough there would have eventually been a war crimes trial that would have made the Nuremburg trials look small and inconsequential compared them. The Japanese can thank Harry Truman it never happened. The trial they did have was comparatively small potatoes.
I understand that some Japanese still living suffered from radiation. But they are still alive as are some of our veterans who suffered massive injuries.
It is time the Japanese nation took responsibility for its actions.
6 comments:
cat: It seems to be easier to be a victim than a perpetrator
It may be easier, but the current crop of American reporters know virtually nothing about WW II.
But they're not slow about publicizing the "terrible" things America did to Japan.
I suppose Japan thought it had signed up with a winner back then. That was/remains their problem, not ours.
Thank you, lin.
ok, this is a bit late, but you 've got to admit that the US were experimenting, and the War was almost over. And lets not forget that they threw the bombs over innocent people. I am not saying Japan was the victim though, just the japanese people. :ets say (God forbid) you live in a Nazi country and an atomic bomb just falls in your rise field? Why, you're thinking why me???
silfiriel, the war was not "just about over". The Japanese had some 6 to 7,000 airplanes hidden in caves on their mainland. The women and children were being taught to use weapons and kill invaders. The Japanese high command had instilled a spirit of "Japan and the Japanese will never surrender". They were preparing for total annihilation.
The U.S. was not experimenting. They meant it. All of the American command were hoping these bombs would force Japan to surrender. It worked, and lucky, too. Because those two bombs used were the only ones America had in its arsenal.
Japan was NOT the victim. What happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved far, far more lives (both Japanese and American) than it cost.
I have no idea what the last few lines of your post mean.
Post a Comment