One thing I think we all do agree on is that the bombings themselves were horrible. If I may be entirely frank the argument of "was [X] horrible or not horrible" becomes moot once you even begin the topic of war. Human beings killing each other over parcels of land, over unthinking, unaware plants or inorganic fuels and raw materials? Insanity.
WWII can be blamed entirely on WWI. And WWI can be blamed entirely on a bunch of stuffed-shirt nobles and royals wearing monocles and top-hats, lording it on high over their minions and sending them to die by the fucking millions in hopeless battles of attrition while they themselves regarded the entire affair almost like a sport.
WWII brought out some of the worst examples of human cruelty. It brought out many of the nobler aspects, too, but it also brought out many of the worst. The atomic bombs? Not even the worst thing to happen in that entire war, not by a far cry. On its own, without purpose, without aim, I would have called it perhaps one of the single greatest atrocities ever. But for the reasons and the need for it, it becomes a different kind of horror; the one of torturous necessity, which dims the glare, and becomes less a fault of men, and far greater the fault of power, and especially those in possession of it, for allowing it to come to that point.
Now, Shell, you mentioned something about giggly Japanese girls snapping photos of everything. Yes, this is a pleasant view of them, but having toured Japan rather extensively over the course of about two months, not as a tourist but as one trying to learn the culture, I can very confidently assure you; the Japanese are not exactly the most pleasant of people. Ironically, the ones who are more westernized tend to be the more cheerful, friendly, and open, but the ones who are more 'traditional' are xenophobic to an extreme extent; you think the southerners are bad? Hoooo-weeeee...they ain't shit by comparison. Japanese society as a whole is very xenophobic and insulated and very unwilling to be accommodating to non-Japanese individuals. You can go there, study there, LIVE there, for years, decades even, completely immerse yourself into their way of life but you will ALWAYS be an outsider and will ALWAYS be considered second-rate no matter where you go in Japan [other than Okinawa], and believe me, I know PLENTY of people who have confirmed this. At least here in the US we have entire regions that are open and accepting on a scale of majority to outsiders and foreigners and those of different color and creeds. You shall find no such haven anywhere on the mainland of Japan.
I have no problems with the Japanese, myself. I understand their xenophobia and mistrust and I bear them no return on the feelings. But believe me when I say there's a lot of Japanese who highly support and endorse Japanese leaders who choose to honor the genocidal sociopaths interred at the Yasakuni Shrine. Especially when the visit is specifically done to honor the specific war criminals themselves rather than the myriad millions of dead soldiers.
Basically what I'm getting at, here; don't let the outward appearances deceive you; they've still got the old Imperial fires burning, even if just the embers, in their culture and society. It endures; another piece of evidence to show that the atomic bombs were necessary.
WWII can be blamed entirely on WWI. And WWI can be blamed entirely on a bunch of stuffed-shirt nobles and royals wearing monocles and top-hats, lording it on high over their minions and sending them to die by the fucking millions in hopeless battles of attrition while they themselves regarded the entire affair almost like a sport.
WWII brought out some of the worst examples of human cruelty. It brought out many of the nobler aspects, too, but it also brought out many of the worst. The atomic bombs? Not even the worst thing to happen in that entire war, not by a far cry. On its own, without purpose, without aim, I would have called it perhaps one of the single greatest atrocities ever. But for the reasons and the need for it, it becomes a different kind of horror; the one of torturous necessity, which dims the glare, and becomes less a fault of men, and far greater the fault of power, and especially those in possession of it, for allowing it to come to that point.
Now, Shell, you mentioned something about giggly Japanese girls snapping photos of everything. Yes, this is a pleasant view of them, but having toured Japan rather extensively over the course of about two months, not as a tourist but as one trying to learn the culture, I can very confidently assure you; the Japanese are not exactly the most pleasant of people. Ironically, the ones who are more westernized tend to be the more cheerful, friendly, and open, but the ones who are more 'traditional' are xenophobic to an extreme extent; you think the southerners are bad? Hoooo-weeeee...they ain't shit by comparison. Japanese society as a whole is very xenophobic and insulated and very unwilling to be accommodating to non-Japanese individuals. You can go there, study there, LIVE there, for years, decades even, completely immerse yourself into their way of life but you will ALWAYS be an outsider and will ALWAYS be considered second-rate no matter where you go in Japan [other than Okinawa], and believe me, I know PLENTY of people who have confirmed this. At least here in the US we have entire regions that are open and accepting on a scale of majority to outsiders and foreigners and those of different color and creeds. You shall find no such haven anywhere on the mainland of Japan.
I have no problems with the Japanese, myself. I understand their xenophobia and mistrust and I bear them no return on the feelings. But believe me when I say there's a lot of Japanese who highly support and endorse Japanese leaders who choose to honor the genocidal sociopaths interred at the Yasakuni Shrine. Especially when the visit is specifically done to honor the specific war criminals themselves rather than the myriad millions of dead soldiers.
Basically what I'm getting at, here; don't let the outward appearances deceive you; they've still got the old Imperial fires burning, even if just the embers, in their culture and society. It endures; another piece of evidence to show that the atomic bombs were necessary.
