HBO Miniseries : Pacific

[Nicnac]

but I was a little put off by some of Tom Hanks' recent statements along the lines of we bombed Japan because they were different than us.

Want to see Pacific regardless of Tom Hanks remarks.

Okay, not flaming here, but one has to come off the high horse sometimes and look at the times events happened in.

If you look at cartoons of the Japanese that were in mainstream newspapers, and materials FOR CHILDREN, you will see manic, wild eyed, demonic creatures with bared teeth, small eyes, ripping children limb from limb, the whole shebang. I am sure Japanese propaganda was as um... colorful. But that is the point. These things work both ways.

Why, when Japanese American soldiers formed the most highly decorated units (for bravery) in the European theater, were their families in camps, their property taken away, given to white folk, never to be returned, when at the same time, German Americans, and INDEED, German prisoners of war in the states were freed to roam around in midwest states as if they were just your neighbors. I saw a facutal movie about this, German soldiers eating at diners, flirting with American girls (not women) while the men were fighting overseas...

Finally, there is the not so small matter that Japan, Hirohito himself, offered surrender in MAY of 1945 with one caveat. That he remain emperor of Japan. The United States refused under the claim that they, we would not brook any conditions to the surrender terms. After the two bombs were dropped, Japan surrendered, and the US gave them terms... that Hirohito could remain emperor.

Now, all this being said, I love that we, the good guys, fought in this, the last JUST war. We had to win this one. We had to use extreme measures, extreme force. But, if you are of the mindset that everything we did (fire bombing Liepzig solely to destroy the morale [kill tens of thousands] of civilians) was good, or correct, then my entire post is pointless.

I learn, I read, I consider. Everyone did terrible, and yes, even wrong things in WW2. Russia lost so many in kicking the Germans all the way back the way they had come. But, Stalin was the worst mass murdered of the bunch. We know this, we acknowledge this.

What you have to decide for yourself is whether the ends justifies the means. But, don't bury your head in the sand, and deny things off-hand.