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mk · 4530 days ago · link · · parent · post: Was the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Justified?
I'm not saying the decision was colored by an irrational hatred for the Japanese, but by dehumanization. It's pretty obvious if you pick up a US paper from the time that the Japanese were 'Japs' to the broader American public. (As an aside, I'll never forget one time when I went shooting with my grandpa. I hit a milk jug full of water at a great distance, and my grandpa squealed: "You got that Jap!".) I can't see why interment could be colored by race, and somehow the decision to drop the bombs were not.
But that aside, I am not arguing that there might have been a far superior option. However, I think the first one could have been dropped on a lesser target as an example, and then some time given to respond. IMO the suggestion in this article that the first bomb might not have worked and strengthened the resolve of the Japanese is bunk. It didn't need to be announced beforehand, so an unsuccessful bomb wouldn't have that effect. But given that Hiroshima was dropped, the second one might not have been necessary, especially with the Soviets entering the war.
briandmyers · 4530 days ago · link ·
To effectively wage war, you must dehumanise the enemy. It's not really a racist thing, but when the enemy is of a noticeably different race, that job is easier.