"The narrative that's been created is that we had no choice but to drop these bombs, that it's what ended the war, that it's what saved American lives. And I question that narrative..."
Of course the narrative she mentioned was a lie. The Joint Chiefs, nearly all of them I believe told Truman not to drop this on a populated area. Tokyo and forty surrounding cities had been incinerated by heavy bombing. Japan was on its knees and at best might have gone a couple more months before surrendering. These bombings, much like the firebombing of Dresden were punitive, sadistic, and horrific. At the same time, as can be easily researched, Russia was about to join the war against Japan having defeated Nazi Germany. There was no way the US was going to let Russia come in and end the war with Japan. Finally, I am pretty sure this was a demonstration to Russia, a display of US willingness to use the most horrific and indiscriminate force against any opponent. These were the two single greatest acts of terrorism perpetrated by any nation against any other nation in history. (The great atrocities, the genocides in history, I am not counting as single acts but as ongoing dynamics that spanned many years).
Peace making is not something that begins once an invasion occurs. Of course, if it hasn't begun earlier, it must begin whenever possible but the issue in Ukraine is, as many now know, that the US has been chipping away at what used to be the Soviet Union, breaking the promises it made not to expand NATO, and thereby threatening, existentially, Russia. This was not making peace. It was growing empire and Russia would not simply sit by anymore than the US did when missiles were being set up in Cuba.
Supporting Ukraine is not running a proxy war on their soil, using their soldiers to "weaken Russia" as has been the stated objective in US UK reluctance to negotiate a peace.
Peace, as this guest makes clear, must be taught in our schools as a positive patriotic value... and it must be modeled by our leaders. Great guest, Cyril.
PS. I must also recommend the incredible artwork made by Iri and Toshi maruki, "the Hiroshima Panels." In my view as a lifelong professional artist and arts professor, these panels leave Picasso's Guernica behind in terms of raw emotive power. I hope this guest is aware of them and has seen them in Japan. They are not publicized broadly in the USA IMO.
Of course the narrative she mentioned was a lie. The Joint Chiefs, nearly all of them I believe told Truman not to drop this on a populated area. Tokyo and forty surrounding cities had been incinerated by heavy bombing. Japan was on its knees and at best might have gone a couple more months before surrendering. These bombings, much like the firebombing of Dresden were punitive, sadistic, and horrific. At the same time, as can be easily researched, Russia was about to join the war against Japan having defeated Nazi Germany. There was no way the US was going to let Russia come in and end the war with Japan. Finally, I am pretty sure this was a demonstration to Russia, a display of US willingness to use the most horrific and indiscriminate force against any opponent. These were the two single greatest acts of terrorism perpetrated by any nation against any other nation in history. (The great atrocities, the genocides in history, I am not counting as single acts but as ongoing dynamics that spanned many years).
Peace making is not something that begins once an invasion occurs. Of course, if it hasn't begun earlier, it must begin whenever possible but the issue in Ukraine is, as many now know, that the US has been chipping away at what used to be the Soviet Union, breaking the promises it made not to expand NATO, and thereby threatening, existentially, Russia. This was not making peace. It was growing empire and Russia would not simply sit by anymore than the US did when missiles were being set up in Cuba.
Supporting Ukraine is not running a proxy war on their soil, using their soldiers to "weaken Russia" as has been the stated objective in US UK reluctance to negotiate a peace.
Peace, as this guest makes clear, must be taught in our schools as a positive patriotic value... and it must be modeled by our leaders. Great guest, Cyril.
PS. I must also recommend the incredible artwork made by Iri and Toshi maruki, "the Hiroshima Panels." In my view as a lifelong professional artist and arts professor, these panels leave Picasso's Guernica behind in terms of raw emotive power. I hope this guest is aware of them and has seen them in Japan. They are not publicized broadly in the USA IMO.