Was droping bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 evil?

by new hope and happiness 108 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Band on the Run

  When I read Hirohito's biography, he was surrounded by wars lords with more actual power. The military leaders did not see him as a god. His brother was in touch with the Allied forces and offered to rule Japan if the US executed Hirohito. I read the book long ago so I don't recall the military names. They were not going to surrender. They did not care what Japanese civilians would undergo. I was surprised by how fluid the situation was. It could have ended other ways. The US wanted a figure with legitimacy. Hirohito did very bad things but the US wanted a leader with legitimacy. If I recall correctly, the US insisted on an unconditional surrender.

  I believe my views were shaped by the US propaganda taught in schools. We were always taught and viewed films with how wonderful the bombs were. I tended to be more skeptical b/c of my Witness background. I knew not to mention the morality of the bombs to any veteran.
• 

  JeffT

  Band, if you have not already read it, you would like "Japan 1941" by Eri Hotta. It is a very well researched history of events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The War Lords you mention seemed to be as intent on fighting each other as they were their perceived Western enemies. Many of them expressed private doubts about starting down the road to war, none of them wanted to be the guy suggesting that in meetings, as they would be branded a coward. Much the same thing happened regarding ending the war.

  Edited to add: recent research suggest Hirohito had more power than was earlier assumed.
• 

  hamsterbait

  Newhopeandhappiness:

  Your question has turned out to get us all thinking very hard about crucial moral issues. Can we stop this kind of thing in advance? How can it be done MORALLY without compromising humanist principles? If our back is to the wall what constitutes moral behaviour when your very life is jeopardy?

  Your initial inquiry has pulled in some very deep thinking from all of us. THANK YOU!

  HB
• 

  JeffT

  Good comment Hamsterbait. Add to those questions this one: what if it isn't your life but its someone elses? Or hundreds, thousands, or even millions of someone elses?

  One of the options for the fall of 1945 has not yet been discussed, we've focused on the Bomb vs peace talks vs invading Japan. The US Navy was convinced they could bring about a Japanese surrender with a close blockade of their home islands. They probably could have, but how many Japanse would have starved to death before they saw the light?
• 

  prologos

  jeff, yeah, to enhance the blockade effect, they could and would have used Agent Orange* on the rice fields of japan, as they did later in Viet Nam. There is always a way in War to be show your true colours, Orange.

  * or quickly developped equivalent.
• 

  Rattigan350

  69 years ago. They all would be dead by now if it never happened. What difference would it have made.

  But because it happened, they never got to have children which prevented over population and they had to build new factories and infrastructure which helped their future economy. Looking at it now, it was a good thing.
• 

  new hope and happiness

  Thank you for the VERY informative and constructive responces.

  In answer to my question " was dropping the bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 evil? I would answer YES.

  I am filled woth loathong that mankind is capable of such atrosities, and the justification beimg that the bpmb be dropped to prevent mankind meeting with other misfortune. As to right or wrong of that decision ? Truthfully that is at the moment unresolvable in my mind. Maybe more so now than when i raised the debate.
• 

  Band on the Run

  The situation at the time the bomb was dropped was evil. The bombs ended up saving lives. I did not cry over the Taliban and Al-Qaeda deaths after September 11. The Japanese are not a Western culture. Better enemy lives than Allied lives. Not pretty but true. The Death March. POW treatment. We would have to fight for every inch and Japanese women and children would fight to the death. That was reality.

  Pearl Harbor did not start WWII. Racism was ongoing on both sides. Ask the Chinese if they are glad we dropped the bomb.

  This is earth. We only have relative good and relative evil.
• 

  new hope and happiness

  Since i started this O.P i have made tremendouse progress in how i evaluate information presented as facts.

  Am i wrong to think the statistics of deaths with this tragedy are 60-80 thousand humun lifes?