The recent book by James Bradley, "Flyboys" spends many
pages trying to explain the reasons behind the cruel treatment
of American POW's by the Japanese.

He writes that the Japanese where perplexed at America's indignation
and contempt of the way the war in China was being waged
considering that the model they were following was America's treatment
of it's own indigenous people who, in some cases, were rounded
up and slaughtered. He also cites the poor treatment Philippinos got
by American forces after the Spanish occupation. Bradley says the
Japanese were not doing anything different than Americans
had done in the west.

The Japanese said the Geneva Convention rules did not apply to
Americans because they indiscriminately bombed civilians in
their raids on Japan.

I'd be interested in other opinions of "Flyboys" as I was somewhat
disappointed in sub-textural message of moral relativism that permeates
the book. We can't make moralistic determinations because we
all acted badly at some point in our history? I'm not sure I buy that.

I see a difference in the institutionalized brutality that came from the
top down in Japan and the individual acts listed by Bradley as being
committed by the American forces.

As horrible as the A bomb was to use, it wasn't any worse than the
firebomb raids on Tokyo which killed many more in just one night.



mjs


"Legal Tender" wrote in message
...
I see we have that old problem again about if "it" should have been used
or
not..

Well I did some research. I checked over the wanted adds in papers from Ca
to Wa for Oct and Nov 1941.
I did not see any adds from America asking another country to attack us.
Ok we got that out of the way,
We did not ask to be attacked or dragged into a war. We all agree on
that????

The Japs did not honor the Geneva Convention, they did honor the rules of
war.
The Geneva Convention says treat the prisoners good, rules of war say kill
all of the enemy.
The japs thought it was a dishonor to surrender, that is why our men who
did
surrender were treated as badly as they were. (are we listening out
there?)
Tojo was a God to them and they gave it all for him and would have fought
to
the last man. I seem to remember many jumped off cliffs rather than
surrender.

As we did not start the war or want it, why should we have anymore
Americans
killed than was necessary??
Did we forget what the japs did in China? or in any other country they
occupied..
And yes you can say this or that about the Jap civilians, but let me ask
you
a question, If we were invaded, as a civilian would you fight??
So do not say the Jap Civilians would not have fought. Remember Tojo was a
God to them. {Think back to the concessions we made for him at the
surrender}
Yes they would have fought with sticks, pitch forks and any else they
could
have gotten their hands on, just as I would if this country was invaded.
Would we have lost up to 1,000,000 men? Maybe less, maybe more.
Patton was right, you win wars by making the enemy die for his country..
Remember Korea? Remember Nam? we lost our ass's there. A lot of good men
died there because we were not ready, we did not think, we did not do that
etc etc.

When the 2nd bomb dropped all the fight was gone. We had Japan under
control.
Granted the A bomb is a nasty piece of work, but if the Japs had it they
would have used it and more than 2 times.
No I hope the bomb is never used again, or any thing like it, but it
doesn't
matter much as most countries have stuff worse than the A bomb, and they
are
not afraid to use it if givin the chance..

Oh by the way this was told to me by another person doing research on the
last days of the war. I have not had a chance to check it out, so this is
hear say. If we would have gone with the invasion of Japan, we would have
set up on some of the closer islands near the base of Japan. Appox 1 to 1
and 1/2 months after we would have been getting set up a massive typhoon
came through those islands. It wiped out everything and anything that
would
have been on the island.. If we would have been there this would have been
a
sign for the Japs to fight harder. Remember the Divine Wind, Kamikaze?
This
would have been taken as a sign from the Gods..

Nope I know it was justified..
Frank