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  #101 (permalink)  
Old 07-17-2008, 04:10 AM
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..say brainless monkey playing a hand grenade for any crowded place.
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  #102 (permalink)  
Old 07-17-2008, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by bobbymcgill View Post
Today is the 63rd birthday of the first nuclear explosion. And, ironically so, the world is a safer place because of it. Kinda sick isn't it. But when compared to the well over 100 million war casualities of the first 50 years of the 20th century, we are doing pretty well.

I will spare you the now cliche' quote by Oppenheimer when he witnessed the explosion, but in the end he was not the "destroyer of worlds." But, there is still time left to annihilate ourselves, so worry not.

My question to the group is: If you could turn back time, would you have done things differently? Any ideas on the future? (Or lack thereof?)

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Would have done the same thing. Who knew that radiation was harmful!!
Anyways look at the benefits we got from that bang. We saved probably 1 million US causualities and maybe 5 million Japanese were saved. Now let us not forget that we saved Japan from being partitioned into the good allies zone and the Soviet occupation zone. If we had to devidde JAPAN with the Evil Empire they would nver be the economic powerhouse that they are today.

We did the Japanese one BIG favor by dropping those b 0 mbs on them and keeping the Soviet Slugs away from them. The JAPANESE SHOULD BE FOEVER GRATEFULL TO US FOR THAT ACT OF HUMAN KINDNESS!!!!
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  #103 (permalink)  
Old 07-19-2008, 06:57 AM
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It really wasn't necessary. The Japanese had surrendered before the first bomb was dropped, albeit with conditions. The US did not like those conditions, but most of them could have been negotiated away. Although at least one American advisor on Japan said we should negotiate, he was ignored.

The bombs were not dropped to save lives. They were dropped because we wanted to show Russia what we were capable of.
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  #104 (permalink)  
Old 07-20-2008, 05:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Joker View Post
It really wasn't necessary. The Japanese had surrendered before the first bomb was dropped, albeit with conditions. The US did not like those conditions, but most of them could have been negotiated away. Although at least one American advisor on Japan said we should negotiate, he was ignored.

The bombs were not dropped to save lives. They were dropped because we wanted to show Russia what we were capable of.
Yes...it was necessary! I'm not sure where you got this idea of "japan surrending" from. The Japanese Emperor refused to sign the Potsdam treaty. Of course the US did not like that because they wanted to end the war. Too bad the Japanese were too arrogant and thought that they could win. Maybe someone should have given the Emperor better advice.
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  #105 (permalink)  
Old 07-20-2008, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Joker View Post
It really wasn't necessary. The Japanese had surrendered before the first bomb was dropped, albeit with conditions. The US did not like those conditions, but most of them could have been negotiated away. Although at least one American advisor on Japan said we should negotiate, he was ignored.

The bombs were not dropped to save lives. They were dropped because we wanted to show Russia what we were capable of.
I do not recal any "surrender with conditions" but even if there was talk of such a thing the Japanee would have dragged the "negotiations" out for such a long time thus giving the Evils Ones ( Soviet Russian Terrorists ) the opportunity to invade Japanese territory. I think that Truman knew well the Soviet threat and he made the righ decision. Futhermore dduring the period of "negotiations" more Americans would have died not to mention our good allies such as the Brits, Ausies, New Zealanders, ( I of course exclude the Evil Ones from the good ally list.
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  #106 (permalink)  
Old 07-20-2008, 02:58 PM
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Yes...it was necessary! I'm not sure where you got this idea of "japan surrending" from. The Japanese Emperor refused to sign the Potsdam treaty. Of course the US did not like that because they wanted to end the war.
Okay, you got to get off this textbook version you're learning in high school. Japan had not formally surrendered, but they were ready to, and were in talks with the Soviets to help them mediate surrender conditions on their behalf. US spies knew all about it because we had broken the codes that they were using to communicate with the Soviets. In other words, it was no secret to Truman in the weeks prior to dropping the bomb that the Japanese wanted to end the war.

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Japan seeks peace through the Soviets

In the meantime, the Japanese government was attempting to persuade the Soviet Union to mediate a peace for Japan that would not be unconditional. This was in response to the Emperor's request at a Big Six meeting on June 22, 1945 to seek peace thru the Soviets, who were the only major member of the Allies that had a neutrality pact with Japan at the time (Butow, pg. 118-120). Unfortunately for all concerned, Japan's leaders were divided over precisely what terms should be sought to end the war, with the Japanese military leaders still wishing to avoid anything that the Allies would have considered a clear "surrender". Surely Japan's leaders hold the lion's share of the responsibility for the fate that befell Japan.
Having broken the code Japan used for transmitting messages, the U.S. was able to follow Japan's efforts to end the war as it intercepted the messages between Foreign Minister Togo and Japan's Ambassador to Moscow Sato. The messages were sent as the result of the June 22, 1945 Japanese Cabinet meeting. The conditions under which Japan was willing to surrender were not clearly spelled out in the messages, aside from a willingness to give up territory occupied during the war and a repeated rejection of "unconditional surrender".

July 1945 - Japan's peace messages

Still, the messages from Togo to Sato, read by the U.S. at the time, clearly indicated that Japan was seeking to end the war:
  • July 11: "make clear to Russia... We have no intention of annexing or taking possession of the areas which we have been occupying as a result of the war; we hope to terminate the war".
  • July 12: "it is His Majesty's heart's desire to see the swift termination of the war".
  • July 13: "I sent Ando, Director of the Bureau of Political Affairs to communicate to the [Soviet] Ambassador that His Majesty desired to dispatch Prince Konoye as special envoy, carrying with him the personal letter of His Majesty stating the Imperial wish to end the war" (for above items, see: U.S. Dept. of State, Potsdam 1, pg. 873-879).
  • July 18: "Negotiations... necessary... for soliciting Russia's good offices in concluding the war and also in improving the basis for negotiations with England and America." (Magic-Diplomatic Summary, 7/18/45, Records of the National Security Agency, Magic Files, RG 457, Box 18, National Archives).
  • July 22: "Special Envoy Konoye's mission will be in obedience to the Imperial Will. He will request assistance in bringing about an end to the war through the good offices of the Soviet Government." The July 21st communication from Togo also noted that a conference between the Emperor's emissary, Prince Konoye, and the Soviet Union, was sought, in preparation for contacting the U.S. and Great Britain (Magic-Diplomatic Summary, 7/22/45, Records of the National Security Agency, Magic Files, RG 457, Box 18, National Archives).
  • July 25: "it is impossible to accept unconditional surrender under any circumstances, but we should like to communicate to the other party through appropriate channels that we have no objection to a peace based on the Atlantic Charter." (U.S. Dept. of State, Potsdam 2, pg. 1260 - 1261).
  • July 26: Japan's Ambassador to Moscow, Sato, to the Soviet Acting Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Lozovsky: "The aim of the Japanese Government with regard to Prince Konoye's mission is to enlist the good offices of the Soviet Government in order to end the war." (Magic-Diplomatic Summary, 7/26/45, Records of the National Security Agency, Magic Files, RG 457, Box 18, National Archives).
President Truman knew of the messages' content, noting, for instance, in his diary on July 18, "Stalin had told P.M. [Prime Minister Churchill] of telegram from Jap [sic] Emperor asking for peace" (Robert Ferrell, ed., Off the Record - the Private Papers of Harry S. Truman, pg. 53). In passing up this possible opportunity for an earlier and less deadly peace, Truman was not deliberately trying to prolong the war so the atomic bomb could be used on Japan to intimidate the Soviets. Briefly stated, it is likely that Truman believed the use of atomic bombs on Japan was necessary primarily for the reasons he always gave: "We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans" (Public Papers of the Presidents, Harry S. Truman, 1945, pg. 212). (For the most thorough exposition of the view that the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan primarily for their effect on the Soviet Union, see Gar Alperovitz, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb. Due to its many sources of documentation, this book will be of interest whether one shares Alperovitz' views or not).
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Too bad the Japanese were too arrogant and thought that they could win. Maybe someone should have given the Emperor better advice.
The one thing that was keeping the Japanese from signing the Potsdam Proclamation was the condition that the Emperor would have to resign from his position. It wasn't about arrogance, it was about culture. At the time, the Japanese thought of their Emperor as a god. Many of the government leaders were afraid that if the Emperor were removed from power, they would lose all reason to live. Of course, in hindsight, we can see that this turned out to be an unwarranted fear, but at the time, no one could tell for sure how the Japanese would react to the resignation of the Emperor. The logic was that losing the Emperor could cause the entire downfall of the nation (bear in mind that the hereditary line of Japanese Emperor's had never been broken for about 2,000 years). Many thought it would be better to die fighting. So the Potsdam went unsigned.

The thing is that the US knew all about the significance of their Emperor before dropping the bomb but ignored it. The US could have come forward and retracted the condition that the Emperor resign, but instead they just dropped the bomb, hoping to force the Japanese to sign on. Of course they did at that point.

But here's the thing the US did afterwards that just baffles the mind. After ignoring the Japanese's concern about their Emperor and dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the Japanese to agree to their Emperor's resignation, the US changes the conditions and allows the Emperor to retain his position.

Quote:
Originally Posted by f100supersabr
I do not recal any "surrender with conditions" but even if there was talk of such a thing the Japanee would have dragged the "negotiations" out for such a long time thus giving the Evils Ones ( Soviet Russian Terrorists ) the opportunity to invade Japanese territory.
Why would the Japanese want to drag it out?

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I think that Truman knew well the Soviet threat and he made the righ decision.
Their was no reason to believe that the Soviets would invade Japanese territory. The Soviets actually had a pact of neutrality with the Japanese at the time.

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Futhermore dduring the period of "negotiations" more Americans would have died not to mention our good allies such as the Brits, Ausies, New Zealanders, ( I of course exclude the Evil Ones from the good ally list.
From who? The Japanese weren't even fighting at this point.
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Last edited by Joker; 07-20-2008 at 02:59 PM.
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  #107 (permalink)  
Old 07-20-2008, 04:55 PM
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Why would the Japanese want to drag it out?

Just by the act of "negotiating" the Japanese would have dagge dout the war. There was a small but strong action of Japanese officers who did not want to quit fighting.

Their was no reason to believe that the Soviets would invade Japanese territory. The Soviets actually had a pact of neutrality with the Japanese at the time. - That "pact of neutrality was broken real quickly when the Evil invaded Manchuria wasn't it. That "neutrality pact was self serving for the Soviets since they did not want a front in the FAR EAST and so that they could give the fullest atention t the Germans.

The Soviets wee aiming on expansion of the Soviet influence and they would have jumped upon a chance to control territory. Look at what those peckerheads did in Europe.

From who? The Japanese weren't even fighting at this point.[/quote] The Japanese where still using KAMKAZE attacks agianst our ships.
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  #108 (permalink)  
Old 07-21-2008, 06:06 AM
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Originally Posted by f100supersabr View Post
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Why would the Japanese want to drag it out?
Just by the act of "negotiating" the Japanese would have dagge dout the war. There was a small but strong action of Japanese officers who did not want to quit fighting.
Yeah, but that small group of officers only had any influence because the antiwar leaders were scared of losing the Emperor. If such an condition had been removed, the hawks would have lost their influence. Even the Emperor wanted to end the war at this point.

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Originally Posted by Joker
Their was no reason to believe that the Soviets would invade Japanese territory. The Soviets actually had a pact of neutrality with the Japanese at the time.
- That "pact of neutrality was broken real quickly when the Evil invaded Manchuria wasn't it. That "neutrality pact was self serving for the Soviets since they did not want a front in the FAR EAST and so that they could give the fullest atention t the Germans.
If the US was so concerned about the Soviets invading Japanese territory, why were they, and the rest of the allies pressuring them to end the neutrality pact and enter the war against Japan, something that the Soviets agreed to do at the Yalta Conference?

By the way, take a look at the timing of that invasion. It occurred on August 9, 1945, three days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

The US was never worried about the Soviets invading Japanese territory. From their actions, it appears far more likely that they wanted the Soviets to attack.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joker
From who? The Japanese weren't even fighting at this point.
The Japanese where still using KAMKAZE attacks agianst our ships.
So a few kamikaze's were attacking our ships. I still don't see how that justifies dropping atomic bombs on their cities.

There's no reason why a cease-fire couldn't have been agreed upon prior to the negotiations.
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  #109 (permalink)  
Old 08-28-2008, 10:35 AM
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This pretty much says it all

that would not be unconditional and Unfortunately for all concerned, Japan's leaders were divided over precisely what terms should be sought to end the war with the Japanese military leaders still wishing to avoid anything that the Allies would have considered a clear "surrender". Surely Japan's leaders hold the lion's share of the responsibility for the fate that befell Japan.

Nothing short of unconditional surrender should have been accepted. They were the ones who started this war. Additionally, the emperor (who had murdered and raped scores of Chinese through his policies) most absolutely should have stepped down. In fact he should have made a trip to Nuremberg. He was a driving force behind not just the war, but the atrocities committed.
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  #110 (permalink)  
Old 08-28-2008, 12:35 PM
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This pretty much says it all

that would not be unconditional and Unfortunately for all concerned, Japan's leaders were divided over precisely what terms should be sought to end the war with the Japanese military leaders still wishing to avoid anything that the Allies would have considered a clear "surrender". Surely Japan's leaders hold the lion's share of the responsibility for the fate that befell Japan.
I agree with the first sentence but not the second.

If you take into account that we were aware that Japan was seeking for surrender through Russia, we could have called a cease-fire to negotiate peace terms.

A major point is that we knew at least one month prior to bombing Japan that they wanted negotiate a surrender, yet we perpetuate this idea that Japan was ready to fight to the very last man.

And when you take that out, we can see that the whole story for dropping the bomb is a myth. The real story is the US wants to totally humiliate the Japanese, so nothing short of unconditional surrender would be acceptable. Hundreds of thousands of civilians had to die so that the US could totally humiliate the Japanese government. Then after we refuse to negotiate any conditions before bombing, we suddenly compromise and remove some.

That's not to say that all this negotiating might be fruitless. Perhaps the US and Japan would have been able to agree on terms. And then we would have had to bomb them.

But we didn't even try that.

Quote:
Nothing short of unconditional surrender should have been accepted. They were the ones who started this war. Additionally, the emperor (who had murdered and raped scores of Chinese through his policies) most absolutely should have stepped down. In fact he should have made a trip to Nuremberg. He was a driving force behind not just the war, but the atrocities committed.
That was one of the most major issues. The Japanese wanted to keep their emperor, but the US refused. We wanted him to step down and be tried. We insisted on it, and used their resistance as justification for bombing them, and then flip-flopped immediately afterwards by removing that same condition.

If you want to insist that the emperor should be punished because someone needs to be blamed for the nations actions, then make sure you stick to that demand. You don't use his refusal to accept punishment as justification to bomb two cities with nuclear weapons, and then just grant him immunity afterwards.
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