Thanks for the points about politeness. Couldn't agree more.
The reason I believe it was murder to bomb innocent women and children was I try to view people as individuals and not as conscripts to a nation state. Many people think, "well they attacked us" . None of those women and children Truman authorized the incineration of had attacked Truman or the men who released the nuclear bombs on them etc.
If you or I were trying to get a bad guy who was tying to kill us and fired into a crowd, maybe killing the bad guy, but also killing many innocent bystanders wouldn't we be guilty of having murdered the innocent bystanders? Why should government, be exempt from that when they "fire into a crowd" and kill innocents is my question.
I do not like the term "collateral damage" as it disrespects human life and attempts to minimize murder of individuals.
If, we were employed by the state (as a cop of some sort). Then yes, you would have the legal allowance to do so. Would YOU really pull that trigger into a crowd, at a man attempting escape?
If he was advancing at you and firing. I don't know a cop that wouldn't return fire.
As a member of the military, your employed by the state. Given an order to carry out a mission, is your job or you spend time in Leavenworth. The men flying those planes. Did their job, as ordered.
I can not, in good mind. See them as any type of criminal. Once you serve in the military. You have a whole different respect for many things. Life is one of them. The lives of the comrades and friends around you. Are the most important thing.
The atomic bomb wasn't our only "bad day(s)" in the war.
How the Bombing of Dresden?
We bombed Dresden for 2 days - Feb 13-15 1945. We basically destroyed 13 square miles of the city center and killed as much at over 100,000 people. These were civilians.
Allied POW's held in Dresden. Have been against what we did from start. They tell some very scary stories....
How about the firebombing of Tokyo?
2 days again. March 9 -11 1945. We dropped incendiary bombs on Tokyo. We say 88,000 dead and 41,000 injured. The Tokyo FD said 97,000 dead and 125,000 wounded. Over 1,000,000 lost their homes and were displaced...
What about the use of outlawed bombs in the bombing of Hamburg? What about the bombing of Cologne, or Kassel? How is it that everyone fails to remember these? They did more damage then the A bombs!
You may not like the words "Collateral Damage" but, there here to stay.
BTW The first bomb caused 80,000 to die instantly. The second, 40,000 instantly. I don't think it was so "instant" for those 88,000 in the firebombing of Tokyo or Dresden. Not that it makes it any better mind you. But you get the point.
The fuel air explosive MOAB. Hits with the strength and heat signature of a small nuke. It was said by SF operators going into the Tora Bora caves to search for Intel and/or Bin Laden in Af. That the instant loss of air pressure from the explosion out side the caves, in the valley. Pulled the lungs of the Taliban fighters right out their mouths....These were combatants! So too bad for them...
Horrors of war are not just the 2 A bomb attacks. Nor are they limited to just combatants.
So maybe the right thing is to not just jump up and say "XY, and Z are guilty of "war crimes"...... How about we stop the next war from getting started.....
Trump keeps his playground posturing up with NK. We might just learn what those horror's are....
Truman's dead, and so are all involved. Let the dead rest in peace. They earned it having to actually make those hard choices. I have to have faith that they stood before their god, and were judged accordingly. It's not our place to.....