The Logic Off Topic list

At 2:26 AM -0400 01.9.24, GAmoore@... wrote:
>If they weren't willing to surrender even AFTER two atomic bomb attacks
>an the firebombing of Tokyo, do you really think they would just
>surrender on their own?
>
>If we had blockaded them, they would have perfected their own atomic
>bomb, they would have perfected their jet, their long range
>intercontential bomber, etc - all of which they were working on.

Japan at that time had no such abilities of any kind.
What "they" could do was to fly balloons reinforced with saccharide taken 
from a kind of potato and tell the citizens to fight with bamboo spears, as 
you wrote.

>Hirohito was reponsible for about 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 civilian deaths
>in China, Phillipines, Malaysia, Burma, etc. and a few in Pearl Harbor
>and probably some Korean comfort girls too.

I also think Hirohito was responsible.  Maybe he didn't want to start the 
invasion and war himself, nor know about massacre of innocent people, but 
he at least approved of the invasion.  Hirohito himself thought that way. 
When he met general Douglas McArthur , Hirohito said, "I came here as a 
person who's totally responsible for all decisions and actions that have 
been done in this war by the Japanese nation.  I came here to put myself 
into your hands.  I don't care what will happen to me.  Please do not 
distress Japanese citizens any more."

McArthur was deeply touched and did not accuse him.  I think it was a wise 
decision.  If Hirohito was executed, hatred against the US would cover all 
over Japan, and the US might lose one of the most important allies in the 
post WW2 world.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KONDO Tatsuo (Kondo is my family name)
website: http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~kndt