This story from FoxNews is...breathtaking. If the accusations are true then those that state that the Obama administration is weak and apologetic are completely vindicated.
The son of the U.S. Air Force pilot who dropped the first atomic bomb in the history of warfare says the Obama administration's decision to send a U.S. delegation to a ceremony in Japan to mark the 65th anniversary of the attack on Hiroshima is an "unsaid apology" and appears to be an attempt to "rewrite history."That's just a snippet. Read the whole thing here.
i dont think its that at all, it was a watershed moment in history, we arent apologizing, we are recognizing its role in the world.
ReplyDeleteIts a PR move in a country where anti-US feeling is reaching critical mass. The issue of US troops in Japan has brought down several recent governments there and public outcry over the behavior of Marines etc is really starting to get loud.
ReplyDeleteBeing the only country in the world to have been nuked they do feel specially victimized. Say what you would about the military's behavior and their savagery you have to admit being nuked is not going to be a good feeling. The circumstances of the decision have also been subject to immense controversy and conspiracy in Asia over the years as it is widely felt that Truman made the decision to bomb Japan based on race rather than military reason.
Truth or not its what people there believe ,I've lived in Asia so I have seen and felt this first hand. The fact that America has never shown remorse or contrition for the action has further reinforced the arguments.
It might as well be an unsaid apology, but I don't think its a sign of weakness, its just the right time to do it. There wont be too many negative consequences (no reparations and such) and the good will it might generate in the country and region in general would be really beneficial in the long run.
The decision to nuke was necessary in context, but now 65 years later theres no need for us as a nation to keep our boots on their necks. Japan is a close ally and an important strategic partner in a region which is going to be a problem for decades to come, why not make a symbolic gesture to insure they stay friendly?
BTW I have visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki on their anniversary celebrations and let me tell you there is nothing but regret in the faces of every person there, regret for having started the war in the first place.
Nagasaki Day also happens to be my birthday :)
i've had the pleasure of living in Asia and have traveled to several countries in that region.
ReplyDeletethe issue of an apology to Japan should be weighed in the same light of an apology by the Japanese to the Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Australians and even to US POWs.
it was war, it was brutal and they started it.
its not time to apologize, its time to move on.
Japan has never show much remorse for what it did to us in Pearl Harbor, "No sitting Japanese prime minister has visited Pearl Harbor or apologized for the surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941, that drew the United States into war." That's not even mentioning Japan's refusal to come to grip with the slaughter it wrought upon its neighbors during WW2- Ron should talk about that too.
ReplyDeleteDon't be surprised if he accepts the invitation that no President before him has just to further his dream of a world with no nuclear weapons.
I could be naive but my idea of diplomacy is "Speak softly and carry a big stick"
ReplyDeleteThis is just another stop in the Apology 2010 Tour. No other president has felt the need to do this for the past 65 years, why now???
ReplyDeleteHow you could possibly interpret this show of solidarity with a major US military and economic ally as a sign of weakness from Obama is beyond me. Other commenters have pointed out the diplomatic reasons why having a US representative attend the ceremony is important. In addition, however, I feel that it is important to point out the difference between Japan and potential US foes, such as North Korea, and rivals, such as China. Even as this ceremony is going on, the US is conducting large scale "training exercises" involving AIRCRAFT CARRIERS and NUCLEAR SUBMARINES off the coast of China. This is weakness if foreign policy?
ReplyDeleteThis might be a bit controversial but I think the reason the Japanese think they were hard done by and therefore portrayed as the victim, despite their numerous atrocities against military and civilian alike, is because they were not TOTALLY DEFEATED.
ReplyDeleteGermany was, they understood they were defeated and to this day teach their children the unvarnished truth about what happened.
The US should have dropped more in my opinion and not in a measured way, at least 10 or 15, all in one go.
This would have created such an impact they would have understood the meaning of defeat and carried on, like Germany.
In a similar fashion, the yoghurt knitters in the UK continually harp on about the RAF strategic bombing of German cities and how we should apologise, viewing the situation 65 years ago through the prism of todays liberal minded sensibilities.
Its nonsense and I do not think for one moment the US should apologise for anything.
Japan was the aggressor, it paid a cheap price for that in comparison to Germany and because of the generosity and foresight of the USA is now a wealthy nation.
Japan should realise how bloody fortunate it is.
It is time to move on, but lets not forget the realities of what happened