Posts Tagged ‘nuclear weapon’
The Justification for Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japanese disdain and disrespect for individual life was demonstrated by their treatment of prisoners of war and their suicidal attitude to military duty.
It was already clear by Iwo Jima that the Japanese strategy was to extract maximum casualties from their opposition in the certainty that they had no hope of victory. Data on casualties show the the US typically suffered three times as many wounded as killed but the Japanese literally fought to the death leaving very few wounded.
The two major battles before the atomic bomb was dropped were Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Iwo Jima Deaths
US. 6,821
Japan. 17,845
Okinawa Deaths
US. 14,010
Japan. 77,823
Okinawan civilians. 149,634
US deaths for the invasion of Japan were estimated to be between 400,000 and 800,000. Japanese deaths were estimated to be over a million with civilian deaths of millions more.
The Hiroshima bomb is estimated to have killed 135,000 including immediate and longer term deaths. The Nagasaki bomb caused a total of 50,000 deaths.
In my view the atomic bombs saved millions of lives and were justified.
Britain’s Elder Statesman
In A Proud And Honourable Tradition
William Hague is a British politician we can be proud of. I agree with almost every word he says. The only subject on which we diverge is Trident. I see no point at all in this massively expensive white elephant. Everything that can be achieved by possessing a nuclear weapon is achieved by just one warhead capable of use on a variety of delivery methods. Our generals don’t want Trident. We should listen to their advice.
Hague’s time as PM was an unhappy one and it is true that his judgment can be a little wobbly at times but only on trivial matters such as dress code. His presence, intelligence and dignity endow him with a magnificent stature that commands not just the conference platform but the world stage. He makes Labour politcians look either like spiteful, spotty schoolboys or grumpy old codgers with dinosaur attitudes and medieval manners.
He is the perfect foil to David Cameron. Truly, this is a wonderful partnership which will enable Britain to regain its place as a world leader.
Peter Reynolds 