Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the argument presented?
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Just because an act happens to be atrocious does not mean that it is not simultaneously the most humane and compassionate thing to do under the circumstances. Sometimes the alternatives are much worse.
After the fall of Okinawa in June 1945, the Japanese government prepared for the ground invasion by the Allied forces and the final battle on the mainland. Back in August 1944, the government had issued a decree, officially classifying all Japanese citizens (what’s left of them, mostly women, children, and the elderly, as all young men had already been mobilized) as military combatants and armed them all with bamboo spears. Yes, bamboo spears. Here are some contemporary pictures of women and children being armed with bamboo spears and trained to fight the enemies with them.
The women and children were told to fight the invading American ground forces with their bamboo spears till death. They were told that to surrender and be captured by the enemy was the ultimate shame and that they should die fighting instead. The national slogan at the time, propagated by the government and spread to the whole nation, was “Ichioku Gyokusai” (“100 million on a suicidal mission in honor of the Emperor”). They were absolutely prepared to die fighting the American soldiers with their bamboo spears.
Imagine the D-Day invasion in Normandy where the Germans on Omaha Beach were armed only with bamboo spears. It’s not difficult to imagine what the outcome would have been. The opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan would have looked quite different.
By his decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing only 200,000 people, Harry S. Truman avoided the annihilation of an entire nation and saved the lives of 100 million people. The Japanese Army had tanks, and the Japanese Navy had airplanes, so they were not impressed with the American tanks and airplanes. Repeated carpet bombings of Tokyo in March 1945 did not faze them. The only thing that would convince the Japanese people, and, more importantly, their military leadership, of the utter American technological superiority and the complete futility of resistance were the atomic bombs, which they did not have.
They would never have surrendered had we not dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That would have necessitated ground invasion of mainland Japan by the American forces, which would have led to many, many more Japanese to be killed, up to 100 million. You are equally dead whether you are killed by a bullet or an atomic bomb. 100 million people killed by bullets, one at a time, over weeks and months, is much, much worse, by any account, than 200,000 people killed in a flash of a second by atomic bombs.
All of this is common knowledge for anyone who is even remotely familiar with modern Japanese history.
Not that compassion for enemies at times of war is a good thing or that, even if it was, the Japanese necessarily deserved our compassion, given a large number of atrocities committed by their army. But if it’s compassion you want, you can’t do better than saving the lives of 100 million people.
21 comments:
I agree with the argument in light that not many people had to die in order for the surrender to happen. However, I disagree with the statement as well because I feel that the US couldve found a way to get peace without killing 200,000 people.
Hey Ms. Valdez this is Jerry. I think dropping the A-Bomb on Japan was a very bad thing to do. Evemn though saving the lives of 100 million Japanese people was a good thing, people in Japan are still being born with birth defects. Like being born with one arm or one leg or one ear etc. I still think there's another solution that the U.S. could have come up with. The article says that the U.S. was more technologically advanced than Japan at the time, so something else coul've been done.
Well, I'm kind of undecided regarding this argument. Regardless of what method they used to defeat Japan in the war, you still have people dying either way. However, less people died by way of the atom bomb (according to this article) than would have died if they went on to continue field battling. I doubt that Truman cared about how much lives he was saving, he just wanted to get his point across, and it worked. Unfortunately, in the time that we live in, Bush has failed to do so...
Even though we might of saved 100 millionpeople in japan, this was not from compassion. I don't think truman had this in mind, he just wanted to end this war for his country, not their's.
I have conflicting emotions based on the atomic bomb.Logical it is a good idea to drop the atomic bomb,it was the solution to the problem. Morrally I think it should not be our choice to take a persons life. Their deformitise are theirs to deal with. Instead of killing we could have used medicine for our benefit.
War has never been a colorful affair. There are no jokes to be made on the battlefield, and a leader who second guesses or changes his/her motives jeopardizes the lives of their affiliation.
There was no consideration of an act of compassion. Truman simply did what he had to in order to ensure that America had a future... That is all.
I THINK THE FACT OF DROPPING A BOMB WAS A REALLY DASTRIC DECISION BECAUSE IT CAUSE MANY BAD AFTERMATH EVEN MANY YEARS LATER...
I agree with the argument presented. I feel that it was a good yet horrible thing to drop 2 atomic bombs. It is obvious to see that losing 200,000 instead of losing a 100 million. Yes it was tragic that 200,000 brothers,sisters, mothers, or fathers were lost but a few thousand lives had to be taken in other to save a couple million. I also believe that the U.S and Japan government could have came to an agreement and compromised on certain things.
I love Japan. I just adore the country. Without a doubt my opinion is biased. I refuse to accept any form of justification for dropping two atomic bombs on a country in the name of peace. I don't know how they could have done some other way (which is why I won't be running for president any time soon). However, Truman felt that he could run the country well enough and defend it which is why he ran for president. Therfore, he should have figured some other way of ending the war. I see dropping the atomic bombs as just an easy and fast way out of it for him. Oh sure, just fry a couple of people so we can get on with dinner I'm starving. For me those bombings are one of the worst events that have happened throught human history.
When they dropped the bomb on Japan i think it was a bad idea because it hurted many people in many ways plus Japan was already defeated so it was really unnecessary. They should of just left it alone since the real reason the bomb was dropped was to subdue the Soviets.
Hi, Mrs. Valdez I am tchanise.I am some kind agree and desagree with the argument because I see it makes sense to defense yourself while attacking by others but I desagree since too many people were killing where many of them died unfairely.
in my opinion i disagree with the argument presented...bcuz it still caused many ppl aftermaths many years later!!
i say that that amount of people shouldnt have to die so i strongly disagree...also it still have affect on people till this day
droppin bombs on a country is always bad, innocent people are going to get hurt, people who don't even know what is going on are going to loose their lives because of someone else's mistake or action. It is right to onself in the time of need but go about it in a way to spare the lifes of the ones that are not involve.
well i think that every one should just make a treaty and go home and chill dude.war is not the answer to anything.but if you have to defend yourself and the people you love than you should defend it with your life.
I think dropping the atomic bomb on japan was a good idea. The reason i say this is because japan was not going to quit the war they could have tried a sneak attack like pearl harbor again which we all know was a unexpected attack. So truman couldn`t take that risk so he made sure that they had no choice but to surrender. In doing so he saved many japaneese.
I think that this saying just about sums it up:
"It's either them or us!"
When you think about it, the dropping of the bomb was just to protect the future of the still young and inexperienced America.
no one likes war!! however sometimes it is hard to avoid. to read the methods and weopons they have is intresting. they put the people out there with sticks which is crazy!!! i dont like war or what comes with it ex: BOMBS!!!
I agree with emmananuel, when in war while on the battlefield there is no time for fun and games. There is also no room for doubt and compassion when you have lives to think about. Truman did as wat was expected and protected America...go Truman. lol
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