'Morning. There was no reason for Americans to die in an invasion of Japan. Japan and Germany needed their butts kicked hard and we did it. As a tactical approach I have no problem with using the same rules of war the aggressor does. Including firebombing or nuclear bombing. Why should one? The effects of war needed taken to the homelands.
It's a risky business tho; a single MIRV'd nuclear sub can effectively wipe out the US and there is no defense. You would then have to wonder if this was evidence of the Gaia hypothesis demonstrating regulation.
There is warfare "reason" for destroying civilian populations in cities .A lot of babies and people who never supported the Reich or Emperor went with them, but realistically, so what. Them's the breaks, buck-o. MJ's father was slated to take part in the Japan invasion. And he'd just finished Okinawa. I'm sure glad his loins survived, as the thought of "living" without MJ, on my own merits, is appalling.
We think of it as the cost of political failure and/or acquiescence. "Your family did not stop Hitler. No excuses." "They'd already weeded out and killed everyone who opposed them, so the only people left in Dresden were hardcore Nazis and their children." And revenge, which is very, very sweet. Dispatching someone to hell is very satisfying. Like being a park ranger. A gardener pulling weeds.
Yet, since, uhm it must be believable by now that I don't see fault in these tactics and responses of and to war, just go ahead and open fire and drop the bombs, and I never really liked people anyhow and maybe they have some stuff I want like Carmel, and if I get blown up I won't have to do my taxes, ~ still the part that interests me is the personal part. I don't think, I'm not sure but I don't think I want to be involved. Thirty years ago, maybe. Do I think I'm too good for it? That's laughable, believe me. I'm too good to work on my own cars and feed stinky crap to the kitties and wait in traffic, but that's about it. Heck, I'll drink cold coffee. I'm pretty good at remaining blind to what effects I have on the world. like most humans, but on something big, where I have a chance to think about it first, I might decide to do something different than I would otherwise.
It feels weird.
But it's not difficult for me to picture the Germans shooting up my town right now. It would be unfortunate. But I'm not going to shoot at them to stop them. I will, however, take the best food and beer in the fridge with me. Pretty weird, uh? Actually, I think we would just sit here until they shot us, because we're not interested in driving off to find a place to live. Besides, the beer would get warm.
What the heck happened to me?
I'm not one of these people they could get to work in their factories, either. Not going to help them make tools to kill people with. I get my hair caught in the lathe anyway, and if they shoot me I don't have to pack my lunch, which gets really old, and is just about reason enough to shoot yourself anyway. I can't see myself detailing out the bronze Moloch statue: "This is really neat. What do they use this for?" "They heat this up to glowing red and then fry people." "Cool."
I'm guessing a whole bunch of "non-combatants" like this get killed in wars. So do a lot of combatants, by the way. Our own death is insignificant in the scenery, except to people who love us. Sometimes what we do, on the other hand, is very significant. Things we do by participation or non-participation. Can combat prevent more deaths than pacifism? Sometimes, you bet. I don't care. I don't expect anyone else to think like this. But for me, war has been done to death. It's just an insignificant personal, decision, maybe religious, maybe not, not to do it. It doesn't matter to the world at all, but I feel better about it.
Lots of times in history war comes marching across the lawns and up to the doors of people who just want to be left alone. Oh well. It would be nice if you could stick a sign on your door, "Not human." "You are not my species. Don't shoot." How's that for being too good for it. |
