<<There you humanitarians go again---
You sound like Allbright when questioned about a cost of 50,000 Iraqi kid's lives--- She said something to the effect "that it was a terrible price but we think it was worth it"....or Bush when questioned about killing most of the people in a hotel to get at Noriega-- His answer was the same as Allbrights--"awfull price but one we think was well worth it>>
Well, lets do some math shall we? Dont worry, I'll do the addition, I wouldnt want to tax you in any way.
A quick estimate of the casualties from both atomic bombs: approximately 200-500,000, no doubt less (I understand Horishima was only in the 100 thousands, but I havent checked this so lets go with the high figure). Now, Japanese to US casualty ratios in the war were approximately 2 to 1. If estimated casualties for taking both the southern island of Kyushu and the Tokyo Plain are 1.5 million (no doubt a low estimate) then Japanese casualties could be approximated at 3 million. Now, assuming that casualty ratios would hold constant (which would not, the Japanese were assembling entire kamakaze flotillas on Kyushu, the Tokyo Plain would have been nightmarish), that comes to 4.5 million lives. Comparing the high figures for casualties due to the atomic bombs, thats .5 million to 4.5 million. Thats a 9 fold reduction in bloodshed. Make up your own mind whether the bomb was justified. |
