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Forums - Politics Discussion - Atomic bomb survivors want an apology from Obama.

The ENTIRE concept of either the Japanese or USA 'apologizing' for anything is dumb imho. Maybe in the immediate years afterwards, as the men directly responsible for the decisions on both sides (and yes, both sides often displayed questionable morality : USA interning innocent American Japanese, Japanese Army slaughtering/imprisoning many of their neighbors, etc).

But now? It's a dangerous concept imho. The idea that people alive now that had nothing to do with the actions several generations back have anything to apologize for is a slippery slope. That's how racism and xenophobia can survive.

"I hate such and such, they killed X back in 1938"

"Great, if any of those people are still alive you can go give them the finger"



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an apology is a rather superficial and tacky thing in this sort of circumstance, to ask for OR to give.

why? because the current American public NOR President Obama had anything to do with the bombs. and its not as if American society in the mid 20th century was particularly proud of that specific part of the war. no one enjoys killing thousands from a bomb (well at least most people do not!). And in the end I think its fairly obvious that if not for the atomic bombs (as terrible as they were) a lottttt MORE people would have died, both Japanese and American

I think I've read guesstimations that if the American army had to directly invade the Japanese mainland that it could have cost the lives of like millions of people (which is a lot more than the atomic bombs cost).

My point being: war sucks. atom bombs suck. guns suck. but in the end both American and Japan put themselves in positions to draw blood from one another. Anyone asking for an apology currently for the dropping of the atom bombs are A) talking to the wrong people and B) under a delusion about the fact that the atom bombs in a way prevented more death

I like Japan a lot but I think its safe to say that around 1948 or whatever the political standpoint and government was QUITE proud. An American land invasion would have lasted a long time, the Japanese would not have easily surrendered, and Japan woul have been destroyed economically and probably would have never truly recovered

anyway bit of a ramble, but just a bit of an absurd thing to ask an apology for.

I think its stupid for anyone to ask for an apology of those alive today for their dead ancestors, but Japanese atom bomb survivors have a far less understandable position than, say, Native Americans in USA for example. Japan made that war with the USA happen, thats a fact. 



Lefil said:
acer67 said:
japan attacked first ...let them apologize for pearl harbor first then we can consider apologizing for bombing them

Although the attack on Pearl Harbor, a military base, was wrong, it was far less indefensible than the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki's civilian populations.

lol ok let hear you defend japan's unprovoked attacking of pearl harbor then



Much like these demands for an apology, we really need to let this thread end lol

This is a great example of why this apology nonsense is such a bad idea anyway; it takes two populations who have fairly good relations and reminds them that they ought to hate one another for what their ancestors did.