65 years ago today

[Little-Acorn]

65 years ago today, Aug. 5, 1945, the first atomic bomb ever used in anger was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, on August 8, another was carried over Kokura, Japan. Kokura was found to be obscured by a 70% cloud cover, so the plane was diverted to Nagasaki, where the bomb was dropped. Approx. 200,000 people were killed as a result of the two bombings.

Less than 2 weeks later, Japan surrendered, ending WWII. As a result, the planned Allied invasion of the Japanese homeland was called off. The half million American deaths that were expected, plus more than a million Japanese deaths, never happened as a result.

 

[Pandora]

and for the first time since this happened the president sending someone to attend their ceremony, The son of the man who dropped the bomb is P..t off about it.

Is it obama's way of saying we're sorry?

I have a co worker, an older woman from Japan who says dropping those bombs, though sad gave them freedom.

 

[Little-Acorn]

Obama should send the son of Gen. Douglas MacArthur (if he had sons) to attend the ceremony.

Our way of saying we were right to do it, and would do it again in a similar situation.

If they really want us to send somebody. It would be just as good, to send nobody. That would say, "Our attention to the event is completed and needs no more... until the time it's needed again."

Or maybe send a Pearl Harbor survivor, or a Bataan Death March survivor?

 

[Pandora]

Obama should send the son of Gen. Douglas MacArthur (if he had sons) to attend the ceremony.

Our way of saying we were right to do it, and would do it again in a similar situation.

If they really want us to send somebody. It would be just as good, to send nobody. That would say, "Our attention to the event is completed and needs no more... until the time it's needed again."

Or maybe send a Pearl Harbor survivor, or a Bataan Death March survivor?

I do not think they asked us to send anyone, I think obama just decided in all of his invisible wisdom to do it and is insulting the son of the man who flew the mission

 

[Helicitor]

Japan will stop worrying about their little ceremony when they finally realize that the US will no longer defend them, and that they must develop their own nuclear weapons to deter China and North Korea. Those who play victim too long just get victimized over and over again.

The US engaged in total war, but treated the Japanese far better after they surrendered than the Japanese treated those they conquered. Since then, the world has changed, and the nature of Japanese culture has changed. How much, time will tell.

I don't give our nuclear attacks on Japan a second thought, and realize that it's only a matter of time before the nulcear genie is let out of the bottle again--probably in the middle east, but possibly in Japan again--this time by North Korea. Maybe in the US by attackers we'll never be able to identify.

War is one of a handful of constants across all human civilizations and the entirety of history. No weapon has ever been thrown away, unless replaced by a better one.

 

[PLC1]

and for the first time since this happened the president sending someone to attend their ceremony, The son of the man who dropped the bomb is P..t off about it.

Is it obama's way of saying we're sorry?

I have a co worker, an older woman from Japan who says dropping those bombs, though sad gave them freedom.

Ending the war did open the way for the Japanese people to be free. The real justification for having dropped the bomb was that it put a quick and final end to the most devastating war in human history, and saved far more lives than it took by doing so.

Is it Obama's way of saying we're sorry? No, I really don't think so. I think he is confirming the mayor of Hiroshima's statement:

"Clearly, the urgency of nuclear weapons abolition is permeating our global conscience," Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said in a speech followed by the release of white doves.

That sentiment was confirmed by our ambassador to Japan, who said:

"For the sake of future generations, we must continue to work together to realize a world without nuclear weapons," U.S. Ambassador John Roos said in a statement.

Those words are a reflection of those of a former president, who stated:

We seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.

link1

link2

Both presidents, though they are from opposing political viewpoints, are correct. We must work to rid the world of those terrible weapons. Perhaps one day, human society will evolve to the point where that goal is achievable.

 

[Pandora]

Ending the war did open the way for the Japanese people to be free. The real justification for having dropped the bomb was that it put a quick and final end to the most devastating war in human history, and saved far more lives than it took by doing so.

Is it Obama's way of saying we're sorry? No, I really don't think so. I think he is confirming the mayor of Hiroshima's statement:



That sentiment was confirmed by our ambassador to Japan, who said:




Those words are a reflection of those of a former president, who stated:



link1

link2

Both presidents, though they are from opposing political viewpoints, are correct. We must work to rid the world of those terrible weapons. Perhaps one day, human society will evolve to the point where that goal is achievable.

I do not know why he sent someone when no other president has felt the need. The son of the pilot didn't think it was right. I just think its strange. He is the worst president in my lifetime and has the worst judgement of any one I know of so I figure this too must be wrong

but in the end I really don't care.

I am concerned with the idea of

"ridding the world of those terrible weapons".

As long as there are crazies like the president of Iran and Chavez, Castro exc. the only thing ridding the world of these terrible weapons would do is ensure our defeat to people like them.

 

[PLC1]

I do not know why he sent someone when no other president has felt the need. The son of the pilot didn't think it was right. I just think its strange. He is the worst president in my lifetime and has the worst judgement of any one I know of so I figure this too must be wrong

but in the end I really don't care.

I am concerned with the idea of

"ridding the world of those terrible weapons".

As long as there are crazies like the president of Iran and Chavez, Castro exc. the only thing ridding the world of these terrible weapons would do is ensure our defeat to people like them.

Which is why we can't get rid of them just yet anyway. Perhaps when we've grown up as a species, in another thousand years or so.

Unless, of course, we blow ourselves up and have to start all over again with the stone age.

 

[Pandora]

Which is why we can't get rid of them just yet anyway. Perhaps when we've grown up as a species, in another thousand years or so.

Unless, of course, we blow ourselves up and have to start all over again with the stone age.

But we are getting rid of them. There was a deal a while back with Russia (who in my opinion cannot be trusted) and more deals to come.

Less money being put into defense exc. We are doomed as a nation if this continues but part of me figures we deserve it. And not because of anything we did in our past but because of the absolute fools we keep electing.

 

[PLC1]

But we are getting rid of them. There was a deal a while back with Russia (who in my opinion cannot be trusted) and more deals to come.

Less money being put into defense exc. We are doomed as a nation if this continues but part of me figures we deserve it. And not because of anything we did in our past but because of the absolute fools we keep electing.

We've been making arms limitation deals with Russia since it was the Soviet Union and before. That is nothing new. We still have enough WMD to destroy civilization several times over, and so does Russia.

Hope that makes you feel safer.

 

[Pandora]

We've been making arms limitation deals with Russia since it was the Soviet Union and before. That is nothing new. We still have enough WMD to destroy civilization several times over, and so does Russia.

Hope that makes you feel safer.

Ha! I have not felt safe in almost two years. I mean not even a tiny bit.

But the problem is even though we with past presidents got rid of older outdated weapons, we still made newer better ones. This is something we are not doing now as far as I know we are not even making plans to make more high grade weapons while other country's are.

so do I feel safer NO should I feel safer NO!

dang, sometimes I wish my eyes were still shut like when I was a liberal I would at least feel safe even though it wasn't true.

 

[PLC1]

Ha! I have not felt safe in almost two years. I mean not even a tiny bit.

But the problem is even though we with past presidents got rid of older outdated weapons, we still made newer better ones. This is something we are not doing now as far as I know we are not even making plans to make more high grade weapons while other country's are.

so do I feel safer NO should I feel safer NO!

dang, sometimes I wish my eyes were still shut like when I was a liberal I would at least feel safe even though it wasn't true.

We're still spending almost seven times as much on our military as second place China is spending on theirs. Surely, at least some of that money is not going to waste, isn't it?

 

[Pandora]

We're still spending almost seven times as much on our military as second place China is spending on theirs. Surely, at least some of that money is not going to waste, isn't it?

Do you have some source for those figures? I have a hard time
believing obama is spending anything on new weapon ideas.

 

[PLC1]

Do you have some source for those figures? I have a hard time
believing obama is spending anything on new weapon ideas.

Here's a list of military expenditures by nation.

The US spends almost as much as the rest of the world combined, and more than twice as much of its GDP as second place big spender, China.

Of course, China has a lot of economic power that the US no longer has.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Here's a list of military expenditures by nation.

The US spends almost as much as the rest of the world combined, and more than twice as much of its GDP as second place big spender, China.

Of course, China has a lot of economic power that the US no longer has.

of course the tea party never says cut that.....

and yea china has some economic power, but the US debt and all still have alot more...and China is on borrowed time...Its going to run into what happen to Japan soon...huge cash flow...small profits...and a system build on who you know and alot less on if its a good idea...A nation where ( just a guess not based on number I have seen...but should be in ball park) 90% of its income...is found on the coast of China..and as soon as you get past that ...its a 3rd world nation of poverty...China will soon hit a econ wall...and when it does...it will turn very protectionist..isolationist, and just trying to hold off other nations picking it apart.