Quote:
Originally Posted by Gogar
I think cocky pride was responsible for the USA using the nuclear bomb. They had just received a swift kick in the nuts from the Japanese, and that's what made it seem justified at the time. If they had the bomb at Normandy, I'm not so sure they would have used it.
AND, it's the last time cocky pride worked for America. Didn't work in the fifties, late sixties, early nineties, or 2002-present.
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I think this thread has about as much "dumb ass" in it as I have read in a long time. It really emabarrasses me that the 20-somethings and even the 30/40-somethings have been brainwashed into thinking that every decision was the result of racism or US arrogance.
Some of you should have had a chance to talk to my ex-father-in-law (now deceased) who was a WWII vet. He was on Normandy Beach on D-Day and lost his hearing from a German artillery shell during the Battle of the Bulge. The man had several Purple Hearts as well as two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star. He suffered from night terrors until the day he died. In fact, no one really new some of his stories (he never discussed them) until later in life when he attended a reunion and some of his buddies talked to his family about his heroism (including being involved in hand-to-hand combat during one skirmish). This man saw many of his friends killed as well as the bodies of many civilians.
These heroes did what they had to do to end a war that they did not start nor ask for. They knew that the longer the war went on the longer the killings would continue. Would the bomb have been dropped if developed earlier?...probably so. But why should a bunch of candy-ass internet philosophers feel so self righteous in their abilities to second guess decisions made in the fog of war? The most difficult decisions most of these philosophers make is which new XBox360 game to buy or which girl am I going to try to screw tonight. My father-in-law in his 20's was trying to decide which foxhole would provide more cover, which German to shoot at, when would he get his next hot meal and wondering which day was going to be his last.
I agree that it is worthwhile to examine history and try to learn from past mistakes. I also think that it is the height of arrogance to sit behind a keyboard and second guess decisions that many of us (yes...I include myself) would probably not be capable of making without having the experiences and information that was available at the time. The decision was made....and I firmly believe that based on everything we knew at the time (and know now) it was the RIGHT decision.