Posted on Aug 7, 2015
Should the United States apologize to Japan for dropping the atomic bomb?
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Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the United States using the first atomic bomb dropping it on Japan, many news organizations and individuals recognized this historic event. A post by one of my friends caught my eye “…why Japan had apologized for its wartime atrocities repeatedly, but the people of Japan had never received an apology for the dropping of two atomic bombs.” Should the United States apologize for the use of atomic weapons that ultimately ended World War II?
WWII World War Two
Japan
Nuclear
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 131
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None of the world leaders during WWII are here any more and neither are many of those who fought in it. We did what we did to end the war. 70 years later what does anyone who wasn't even around then have to apologize for?? We put Japanese Americans in internment camps while the Japanese tortured and executed POWs - big difference. I'm not sure they really owe us an apology for what happened all those years ago.
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SrA Edward Vong
My thoughts exactly. It's been too long for any apology's on either side to be issued.
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SPC George Rudenko
Wow, that is such a good topic. I know a bit about atomic weapons and how vigorously they were pursued. Do we apologize to Japan for its use? I know we damn sure should always be sorry for internment. I hate to say we had to... but Russia and Germany were on their way... and I dare not imagine what they would do.
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COL Ted Mc
SPC George Rudenko - Spec; Excuse me, but Russia was on OUR side during WWII.
The fact that (over?) 60% of the German military (and the better qualified part of it at that) was "otherwise occupied" on the Eastern Front had more than an insignificant bearing on the results of OPERATION OVERLORD. [Consider what the D-Day results would have been if the Germans had had two and one half times the troops, tanks, guns, and aircraft available to them in Western Europe than they actually had.]
The fact that (over?) 60% of the German military (and the better qualified part of it at that) was "otherwise occupied" on the Eastern Front had more than an insignificant bearing on the results of OPERATION OVERLORD. [Consider what the D-Day results would have been if the Germans had had two and one half times the troops, tanks, guns, and aircraft available to them in Western Europe than they actually had.]
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The Japanese apologies have been largely 'pro forma' and are at odds with what they teach their young, they deny many of their WWII actions to this day. All in all, we ended a war they started with the absolute lowest death toll (for them as well as us) possible. We owe them no apology.
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SSgt Khanh Pham
I think we should not uses the Japanese action as a justificaiton for our action. You know the "but he did it too" from your children.
The japanese has their own issue between government and new generations wanting to deal with history instead of pretending it never happened.
The japanese has their own issue between government and new generations wanting to deal with history instead of pretending it never happened.
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PO2 Ron Burling
SSgt Khanh Pham - While our discussion would not be complete without hearing from the 'parenting' school of international relations, had there been no Pearl Harbor, there would not have been a Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
SSgt Khanh Pham - You're not making sense. When you cross the political line to go to war, war involves death. To pretend otherwise is crazy. If Japan had not gone to war with us then Japanese would - simply - have not died. You can't spin it any other way. Even if you take the line that American money forced the Japanese into a corner from which war was one option, they had the second option. Theres always two options. They took the option that lead to war. Sneak attack or not, they chose the war option.
So while they are quasi-correct that we forced their hand, they still made the move to take up arms. And when you take up arms, some people are going to die. Had it not been the atom bomb, they would have been burned to death with normal fire bombs like the USAAC was already doing.
So while they are quasi-correct that we forced their hand, they still made the move to take up arms. And when you take up arms, some people are going to die. Had it not been the atom bomb, they would have been burned to death with normal fire bombs like the USAAC was already doing.
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Nope, estimates say 4 million would have died in a mainland invasion.
More died in the firebombing of Tokyo than did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.
"Apologizing" is the same old politically correct CRAP that spews forth from the people that really don't understand war... War SHOULD be fought quickly, decisively, and with extreme brutality. The longer a conflict continues the more innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire.
More died in the firebombing of Tokyo than did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.
"Apologizing" is the same old politically correct CRAP that spews forth from the people that really don't understand war... War SHOULD be fought quickly, decisively, and with extreme brutality. The longer a conflict continues the more innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire.
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This is the deal. Japan wants to mimize their actions in WWII, but they want to remember the Atomic bombs.
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SGT David Ewers
I feel that way too, looking at the long list of apologies that Japan has made, I personally feel that they believe if they apologize then that makes everything better. That's NOT the case and I would be severely disappointed if someone in our government actually made an official apology. I've read a lot of opinions on here but I think the common theme was they got what they deserved.
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SGT David Ewers, absolutely not! Not only was it a war of their choosing, the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima prevented the only viable alternative COA which was an invasion of the Japanese mainland. Casualty estimates for such an action were staggering; likely resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops and Japanese forces. That Japanese leaders refused to relent after Hiroshima, necessitating the dropping of the second bomb on Nagasaki speaks to the low and reckless regard that nation held for the safety and welfare of her own citizens during this era. As horrific and devastating as the impact these new weapons had on these two cities, the reality is that far more civilian lives were most likely spared, as was the rest of Japan, as a result of this decision. No, it is not the United States of America that owes Japan an apology for the unleashing of the atomic age upon it, but rather the Japanese Government itself that owes the World an apology for making it necessary in the first place.
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COL Ted Mc
MAJ (Join to see) - Major; An actual invasion of the Home Islands was never really a "viable" option - it simply wouldn't sell with the voters.
Starving Japan into surrender WAS a viable option and would have resulted in many fewer casualties than even the most limited attempt to invade the Home Islands. (It would also have been likely to have killed millions more Japanese than even a successful invasion would have killed.)
Starving Japan into surrender WAS a viable option and would have resulted in many fewer casualties than even the most limited attempt to invade the Home Islands. (It would also have been likely to have killed millions more Japanese than even a successful invasion would have killed.)
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No. An apology is given when someone has done something wrong.
Some who favor an apology might point out the effects of the bombs, but they forget that was the whole point of them. And if we apologize for them, should we apologize for other actions we took during the war?
Yes, the Japanese apologized for their actions, because they were the aggressors and they committed all sorts of atrocities during the war. Should we apologize for defending ourselves?
The closer land forces got to Japan, the lower the kill ratio got, from 5:1 when we took the Philippines to 2:1 when we took Okinawa, and casualty estimates for a ground assault on Japan itself were estimated between 400,000 and 800,000. Would the American people have been able to put up with that? I don't know.
These devices were deployed with the intention of saving American lives that would have been lost, and in that regard, which was probably the prevailing theory at the time, it was absolutely right to use them.
Some who favor an apology might point out the effects of the bombs, but they forget that was the whole point of them. And if we apologize for them, should we apologize for other actions we took during the war?
Yes, the Japanese apologized for their actions, because they were the aggressors and they committed all sorts of atrocities during the war. Should we apologize for defending ourselves?
The closer land forces got to Japan, the lower the kill ratio got, from 5:1 when we took the Philippines to 2:1 when we took Okinawa, and casualty estimates for a ground assault on Japan itself were estimated between 400,000 and 800,000. Would the American people have been able to put up with that? I don't know.
These devices were deployed with the intention of saving American lives that would have been lost, and in that regard, which was probably the prevailing theory at the time, it was absolutely right to use them.
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No! they started the war by deceit, without declaring war. They killed civilians, and military pows, they took young girls from conquered countries to serve as "Comfort Girls" for their military. Before we dropped the Atomic bombs, we warned both targets ahead of time, we advised them to surrender, before and after the first Atom Bomb was dropped. The Japanese sent Kamikaze planes and subs against our fleet. They were training old men and women, young women to and children to attack our invasion force with sharpened bamboo spears , and to die to the last person. The Atom bombs, caused the Emperor to reconsider and announce their surrender. The invasion of the Japanese homeland would have prolonged the war and caused many more casualties on both sides. Japan saw that the Allies had beaten them before the bombs were dropped, it was their stubborn pride which cost them so dearly. Then the U.S put them under martial law and rebuilt their country! What do we have to apologize for?
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I think the United States giving them the "tools" to rebuild their country is apology enough. I know many Japanese exchange students and they say the country loves America.
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No, we shouldn't apologize to Japan, they started it with destruction and we finished it.
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