Tomorrow, August sixth will mark sixty two years since the droping of the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima Japan.  I know that to many Japanese it is difficult, if not imposssible to understand  why the US used such weapons.  But I also am aware that many Japanese use the dropping of the two atomic bombs as a way to paint Japan as the victim of a war of her own creation, somehow this seemingly absolves her of all blame.  Perhaps the most oft repeated utterence is that the bombs were inhumane.  They were, but war is in itself the most inhumane of acts, nothing can ever change that.  Nothing can make right or acceptable the taking of human life from a moral perspective, it is a wrong, but at times a sadly necessary thing.  Nothing is as inhumane as war, where nations seek to bring each other to their knees.  In my heart I know that the dropping of the bombs saved many times the lives it took, many more of those lives Japanese than American or allied soldiers. 

     The devastation wrought by further atomic attacks, the use of chemical weapons and finally an invasion would have taken twenty to thirty million Japanese lives and perhaps as many as one million American and perhaps five hundred thousand allied lives.  The aftermath of an Invasion of Japan one must wonder if ther would even be a nation known as Japan today, much less a wealthy and prosperous one.  Yes the bombs were terrible and viscous weapons, but so are all weapons when used on our fellow man.  If the killing of perhaps 200,000 people in two attacks is inhumane then what is the Tokyo fire bombing of the night of 9 March 1945?  This attack took more lives than the bombing of Hiroshima, yet is often lost admist the clatter of how terrible and unjustified the atomic bombings were.

     The nature of war does not allow for sentimentality, one must go forward with what will bring about victory.  And if defeated one must accept and deal with the consequences of defeat.  The only change brought about by the atomic bombings is that what once required hundreds or thousands of planes could now be done by one.  In the end this is little more than an argument of the modality of death versus the inhumanity and cruelty of death in war itself from whatever cause and whatever reason.  A murder comitted with a knife is just as terrible and devastating as one comitted with a gun, or bare hands or a car.  Death and inhumanity are what in the end bring about victory in wars like world war two.  Victory is achieved when the enemy comes to realize that carrying on is more harmful and devastating than surrender and the temporary shame and frustration that occupation will bring.  If only Japan had seen that was the case much sooner, then many tens of thousands of lives could have been spared.

More below the fold.

     One of the prime complaints about the 'inhumanity' of the bombs was the effect that radiation had on the victims.  While I certainly wouldn't want to die from radiation poisoning it must be remembered that even the US's understanding of these mechanisms was miniscule compared to today.  Yes the long term effects of a nuclear weapon are unusual in the sense that only one other type of weapon, persistent chemical agents, continue to kill after they have been used.*  While the suffering of the survivors and victims was and remains a poignant remimder of how humanity extends beyond the battle lines it should not be allowed to outweigh what the end result was, the ending of the war.  I grow weary of the Japan as a victim message, for it doesn't square with reality.

     Furthermore the Japanese seem to be unable to confront their own history regarding how they behaved during the war.  When the US bombed Japanese cities it is 'inhumane' and 'unnecessary'.  Then what was the bombing of Chinese cities then?  Or the failure to come clean about 'comfort women' and the rape of Nanking?  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  Japan is in no place to be casting stones abut her status as a victim.  In the end the views held by the Japanese populace at large seem to be based upon a sense of victimization and indignity of defeat coupled with a large dose of denile that exhibits it self in a readiness to decry the use of nuclear weapons against Japan while ignoring or excuses all of her own crimes and complicity in bringing about the events of 6 August 1945.

*Versus say a landmine which will work years after it is emplaced but will only do so once.  Persistant chemicals and radiation continue to kill after weapon detonation.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 04:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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