Emotional damage support

4 comments

1. [deleted]

2. It’s hard for Japan to demand apology for Hiroshima when Japan refuses to apologise for its role elsewhere. I know one thing doesn’t exclude the other or I’m invoking whataboutism, but it is the state of things right now.

   It speaks to Japan’s orientation towards the future of non-proliferation.

3. Speaking as half American half Japanese, it seems you lack context for every part of that war. You don’t get to call the US monsters and demand apologies while simultaneously ignoring what our role in the war also was.

   And that isn’t saying what the US did was ever remotely in the right, because it wasn’t – I’m simply trying to point out that you’re coming at this issue from the entirely wrong angle if ‘apologies’ are what you’re trying to get out of making this post

4. By July of 1945, it was clear that Japan could no longer carry out any major operations after suffering multiple losses in the Pacific. On July 26, 1945, China, the UK and the US issued the Potsdam Declaration which set forth terms of unconditional surrender by Japan or that they would face “prompt and utter destruction”. Mind, you that just 3 months prior the Japanese suffered 100,000 civilian fatalities as a result of firebombing in the mostly-wooden build Toyko. (The bomb in Hiroshima would kill 70k immediately with a sustained death-toll of 150k).

   The Japanese ambassador to Moscow reacted to the news by calling the declaration “a big scare-bomb directed against us”. However, the Japanese Cabinet Secretary would go on to say that in the days following the ultimatum that everyone felt it should be accepted, likely after witnessing the destruction of Tokyo. Military leaders in Japan felt that the terms were “too dishonorable” as there was vagueness surrounding the fate of the Emperor; the military commanders stated that the government should reject it publicly. The Cabinet Minister stated that the Japanese policy toward the declaration was one of mokusatsu (“killing with silence”), which the United States interpreted as meaning “rejection by ignoring.”

   A study done by William Shockley estimated that invading Japan would cost 1.7–4 million American casualties, including 400,000–800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities. There had already been several proposals regarding the invasion of the Japanese mainland – all projections pointed toward 400k-800k US fatalities and multitudes more Japanese civilian fatalities. It was widely believed that the Japanese citizens would take up arms exacerbating the loss of life.

   By every projection, the bombings of Hirohito and Nagasaki resulted in a much lesser loss of civilian life than if the allies had invaded the mainland. Was it “right”? Probably not. However, you must also view it from the lens of Japanese posturing at the time. Japan forced the US into WWII with an unprovoked (and frankly cowardly) surprise attack. Their conduct in SEA throughout the war was despicable, especially in China. Japan still has not apologized for what is seen as the most reprehensible conduct – the “experiments” carried out by Unit 731.

   At the end of the day, who gives a shit? What worth is the apology of someone who was born after the bad actor had already died? I am not responsible for the sins of my father.

   TL;DR: If you want to blame someone for the bombings, blame the Japanese government for starting wars with multiple countries without provocation and refusing to accept surrender for several months when defeat was assured.