Yogi, my response to your latest on August, 1945
...more worried about the expansion of communism than the lives of ordinary human beings
That'a curious statement. Our concerns about the Soviet style of communism was precisely the fact that it would enslave many millions of ordinary human beings, such as happened to the Poles, Hungarians, Czechoslovakians, and East Germans. Moreover, when a nation declares war on your country, you can hardly be expected to view the citizens of that nation as "ordinary" human beings. Far from being ordinary, they become your deadly enemies. It was not unusual for fliers unfortunate enough to be downed in Japan to be beaten to death by these "ordinary human beings" (and none were ever charged as war criminals).
the perception at the time orientals were not as highly valued as whites....
You certainly must be aware that the Chinese were our valued allies against Japan? You must be aware that the Japanese themselves committed horrendous atrocities against the Chinese? You must be aware that the Japanese military were contemptuous of Caucasians, particularly Americans? You must know that Japan was not a signatory to the Geneva Convention (humane treatment of prisoners of war), and that Japanese soldiers were instructed that since surrender was dishonorable, POWs could be executed? You have heard of the Bataan Death March? The war between Japan and the United States was a war between two races. Are you sure you have thought out thoroughly just where "racism" began and ended in this war? Is it your conclusion that only the United States was racist?
...to pretend or truly believe there were no other alternatives available...
Of course there were other alternatives. Japan would have accepted a conditional surrender that left its remaining military strength intact and which would have given it a free hand in Asia. Do you imagine that the Chinese would have viewed that as a good alternative? Or, we could have shelved the bombs and proceeded with an invasion of the Japanese homeland. No one doubts that such a course would have lengthened the war by another year or more, and led to a huge toll of additional American dead and wounded. Does that sound like a better idea to you? If it does, why do you care less about the lives of American citizen-soldiers than you do about the lives of "ordinary Japanese human beings?" Does this make you "racist?" The men who would have died or been wounded would have surely included high-school upper-classmates of mine who were serving in the Far East theatre. Why do you lack compassion for them, as well as for their parents?
I asked you before, Yogi, to suggest an alternative yourself. You have the advantage of having an additional half-century of knowledge and experience, over the decision-makers at the time. You actually know more now, then they did then. Surely since you have such strong views on this subject, you must have formulated a practical idea of your own. You would advance his discussion must further if you would put it on the table.
JC |
