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Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end WW2?

Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to end WW2?

  • Yes

    Votes: 86 74.8%
  • No

    Votes: 29 25.2%

  • Total voters
    115
faminedynasty said:
You'd better also find a similarly absurd article condemning Secretary of War Henry Stimpson, Admiral William D Leary, and Gar Alperovitz if you want to even call into question the argument.

The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.

Exactly what you have done to the original question.
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Before we used the big bomb we fire bombed the **** out of them.

This is important because they had wooden cities meaning, _a lot of ****_ was destroyed. _A lot_ of people died.

Then we dropped the a bomb.

Total abuse of power
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

I don't think it was a total abuse of power considering they were kamikaze-ing our cruisers and horribly mistreating our POW's. We were about equally horrible to each other.
 
So am I correct in understanding that the general concensus is that it is ok to sometimes kill massive amounts of noncombatants if it provides the correct result?



peace
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Mikkel said:
I don't think it was a total abuse of power considering they were kamikaze-ing our cruisers and horribly mistreating our POW's. We were about equally horrible to each other.

Thats it. War is evil. It is the wicked verses the wicked.
 
I think the general concensus is that it is ok to sometimes kill massive amounts of noncombatants if it prevents the loss of life for an even GREATER number of noncombatants and combatants.
 
I think we could have saved a lot of lives by just allowing Japan to save some face. Both sides pride prevented a peaceable solution. One side should have gave in before all of this happened.
 
cnredd said:
The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.

Exactly what you have done to the original question.
All I have substituted is a fact based account of the circumstances leading up to the bombing in place of the government issued myth.
 
Surenderer said:
So am I correct in understanding that the general concensus is that it is ok to sometimes kill massive amounts of noncombatants if it provides the correct result?



peace

This very same question was answered.. see post 29. And nice try on the rewording. Perhaps if you'd go back and read, you wouldn't sound like a parrot at the moment.
 
There was a saying my Western Civ teacher used to say and it stuck with me all the way through college..."The winning side gets to write history." I dont believe it was ok to use the atomic bomb on not only one but two cities. I was also under the impression that it was common knowledge that Japan was out matched by that point and were well on their way to a decisive defeat.

Now I wasnt in Truman's shoes nor do I even know many people who were around to fight in that war. However, from everything I have read, it was already a bloody and horrific campaign of violence, mass extermination...and all out atrocity committed against the entire world. I really dont see that dropping those two bombs made much more of dent in the world than anything else leading up to it. I do know this...it wasnt long after the bombs fell that the war did come to an unconditional end...that cant be denied.

At the same time, I dont think our government (democrat or republican) is above propaganda to win the people's support. I can fully imagine that the last days of the war with Japan were seen as the perfect playing field for us to make an awesome display of power and effectively take the upper hand in the coming cold war. Was it right...no. Was it effective...yes.
 
faminedynasty said:
You'd better also find a similarly absurd article condemning Secretary of War Henry Stimpson, Admiral William D Leary, and Gar Alperovitz if you want to even call into question the argument.

Middle East News
Al Jazeera

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Independent_Media/Internet_News_Information.html


Actually, I do find it absurd that you quote "fact" from someone who very boldly shows the most BIASED media organization.. ya know the same one that gladly showed video of kidnapped hostages beheaded.

So this is where your "fact" came from? :shock: No wait, I shouldn't be shocked. The far left to the Democratic party couldn't possibly shock me anymore then they already have.
 
debate_junkie said:
This very same question was answered.. see post 29. And nice try on the rewording. Perhaps if you'd go back and read, you wouldn't sound like a parrot at the moment.



Ummm....you quoted my question in 29 but you didnt answer it....Nice try though :2wave:



peace
 
debate_junkie said:
And show me where Japan WASN'T given the chance to surrender prior to the bombs being dropped? Should the US bear the responsibility of the Japanese Emporer who called Truman's bluff not once, but twice?



(your out of the blue answer to me question but here is my response anyway)

So if Bin Laden told the U.S. to pull out of Arabia and we didnt does that make the current Administration(or any other Administration) responsible for 9-11 since they didnt listen?....same logic
 
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debate_junkie said:
Middle East News
Al Jazeera

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Independent_Media/Internet_News_Information.html


Actually, I do find it absurd that you quote "fact" from someone who very boldly shows the most BIASED media organization.. ya know the same one that gladly showed video of kidnapped hostages beheaded.

So this is where your "fact" came from? :shock: No wait, I shouldn't be shocked. The far left to the Democratic party couldn't possibly shock me anymore then they already have.
Look, think what you want of the man, and of the publishers, but the quotes from the secretary of war and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff were stated, no one disputes this, and you can find it from any of number of sources if you aren't cappable of listening to facts when the presenter is a progressive. Anyone who looks into the circumstances leading up to the bombing who does a decent job will find that the government-issued version of the story is blatantly false, regardless of their political leanings, unless they are more dedicated to defending an ideology than they are to truth.
 
It ended the war, though Hiroshima is still radioactive. Well I saw the story on CNNn it doesn't suprise me what that news network will exploit. ;)
 
stsburns said:
It ended the war, though Hiroshima is still radioactive. Well I saw the story on CNNn it doesn't suprise me what that news network will exploit. ;)




What are they exploiting? Are you saying that it isnt still radioactive? Or are you saying that they shouldnt have reported it?:confused:



peace
 
It doesn't matter either way. They didn't report it for any moral ground. It was just an excuse to sell a story about a controversial issue and thereby exploiting the opportunity of the global "bash America" band wagon to sell a story and fill air time.

As far as the thread question....it doesn't really matter does it? We have fought to control this weapon from the hands of irresponsible countries and refused to use it ourselves ever since. The wise thing to do would be to selfishly drop "the bomb" on every country that poses a threat to us and so many others and be done with them and spare American troops from conventional warfare. This would include the Middle East. However, the wise thing is not the right thing. We know the destruction and devestation involved with it's use and we have chosen, as often as we do, the moral high ground by sending our troops to die so that civilians do not have to die along with their evil aggressors and governments. But, giving America this kind of credit is not the fad..is it?



Unless you want to exhume the American leadership and world scientists that tirelessly worked to beat the Nazi's to the bomb and try them for "war crimes against humanity".......let it go.
 
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Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

GySgt said:
It doesn't matter either way. They didn't report it for any moral ground. It was just an excuse to sell a story about a controversial issue and thereby exploiting the opportunity of the global "bash America" band wagon to sell a story and fill air time.

As far as the thread question....it doesn't really matter does it? We have fought to control this weapon from the hands of irresponsible countries and refused to use it ourselves ever since. The wise thing to do would be to selfishly drop "the bomb" on every country that poses a threat to us and so many others and be done with them and spare American troops from conventional warfare. This would include the Middle East. However, the wise thing is not the right thing. We know the destruction and devestation involved with it's use and we have chosen, as often as we do, the moral high ground by sending our troops to die so that civilians do not have to die along with their evil aggressors and governments. But, giving America this kind of credit is not the fad..is it?



Unless you want to exhume the American leadership and world scientists that tirelessly worked to beat the Nazi's to the bomb and try them for "war crimes against humanity".......let it go.

Right on Gunney..........Sadly some of our blame America first will never let it go........Thank you for your service my friend........
 
Rock on. I love my Navy Corpsmen!
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Navy Pride said:
Right on Gunney..........Sadly some of our blame America first will never let it go........Thank you for your service my friend........
Oh, Please. You brought the question up, inviting just such a debate. You can hardly complain if some of those opposed to this piece of American history use the opportunity to register their opinions.
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Dezaad said:
Oh, Please. You brought the question up, inviting just such a debate. You can hardly complain if some of those opposed to this piece of American history use the opportunity to register their opinions.

There you go....you can't argue agents what he's saying, so you argue that he can't say it......
 
I read the opinions here and I see both sides. But one thing I can't seem to shake is that, given certain circumstances, it is deemed ok to target civilians.

The 'certain circumstances' for many here seems to be: That many times the number of American combatants lives would be saved as japanese non-combatants were lost. Women and children who defend their homeland against invasion can hardly be called combatants, even if this story is true (which no one has backed up with any references). The only person who has been forcefully asked for references and delivered them is faminedynasty.

I honestly cannot say which side of this issue I come down on. I think a circumspect review of history is healthy for a person, or a nation. With so many so willing to swallow the 'perfect USA' line, it is perhaps good that there are a few with a more than healthy skepticism.

America has been the greatest of nations. But, not all the time.
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Dezaad said:
Oh, Please. You brought the question up, inviting just such a debate. You can hardly complain if some of those opposed to this piece of American history use the opportunity to register their opinions.

Tell it to the remaining WWII veterans who were scheduled to storm the beaches of Japan. (I've actually talked to them.) That's all one needs to know about this decision.
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Busta said:
There you go....you can't argue agents what he's saying, so you argue that he can't say it......
I didn't begrudge Agents saying anything. I begrudged Navy's agreement with what he was saying. Navy seemed to be saying that only those who agree with his position should have posted in the thread. Seemed strange to me.
 
Re: Do you think it was the right decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end W

Missouri Mule said:
Tell it to the remaining WWII veterans who were scheduled to storm the beaches of Japan. (I've actually talked to them.) That's all one needs to know about this decision.
No, it isn't. They are not the only ones affected by the decision. And the morality of the decision has far reaching consequences in lives beyond the lives of those on our side who were directly involved. I'd like to believe that things are that simple too, but I don't indulge myself in that luxury.
 
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