Neo,
Over 400,000 Americans lost their lives in world war 2! And I'd guess that the majority of those felt it was worth the risk.
400,000 soldiers died. But the cities they nuked were full of women and children.
I think you need to do some research on how bad japan actually was.
I have no illusion, they were not bathed in milk either.[/quote]
Yes, civilian Americans killed in ww2 was minimal compared to civilians killed in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. And I'm not saying that those 200,000 plus lives lost there was a good thing. It's never a good thing when lives are lost during war.
But what I am saying, is that your point about those lives lost there having something to do with the US not being for peace, is just wrong. You have to realize that if the US didn't use nukes, many experts believe the Japanese civilian loss may have been in the tens of millions. Mostly due to Japan's leaders unwillingness to surrender. Their culture was one of suicide before surrender. And, I'll at least give japan this for props. Their leaders ultimately put their peoples lives ahead of a futile fight. If the Soviet Union got involved in an invasion of japan, it would have been horrendous. Millions or tens of millions of Japanese deaths.
And the US was a major part of bringing nazi rule to an end. The US was a major part of the liberation of France.
The US was certainly the world leader, when it came to stopping the spread of Nazi control, and the Japanese too.
Look, I'm certainly not saying the US govt is without faults. But you seem to be taking the approach that the US has been nothing but a bully since ww2.
If the US didn't get involved in WW2, the world would be a different place now. A much worse place.
And I can understand that if you're only focusing on your area. Of the world, you may not see that.
[/quote]
I am not trying to demonize the U.S just because I live in Pakistan and therefore must badmouth the west. Far from it. You have a great country, a great people. Just that at some points, including foreign policy, for some reason the attitude is downright bullish and childish. I certainly don't see US as a peaceful nations, its constantly at war. May be stopping the nazis were the last saving grace, I am not sure. Look at the middle east, the whole region has been so badly destabilized that the results are HORRENDOUS, just look at ISIS. It was nothing, the Arab leaders including Gaddafi and Saddam had these bastards under control for decades and now, they are lose dogs. America was backing these players when it wanted to destabilize Syria, and now they have gone rouge. America has played with small vision (or whatever it was) but look at the long term result. Making new terrorists as I write this.
You think America is hitting ISIS because it worries for IRAQI people? Hell no. They want their control established in these countries and probably fear that ISIS might strike in the heart of america as OBL did with AQ. Long story short they are not doing it for Iraqi's or Kurds or whatever. So be realistic. Call it for what it is. America is the savior of the world tune doesn't ring true to me at all. To me half of the problems right now have been directly caused because of American decisions and actions.
But as I don't see things like you, I guess you also can't see things like me. Your country treats you fairly well and however you wanna put it. Its great for its citizens. Its just that when it comes to the east its a very different standard. I think Americans should stop living with the past glory circa ww2 and see that these new problems are not like old ones. Nazis were evil but america did not create nazis or funded them. The case of Taliban, mujaheddin and half of ISIS numbers is a different story altogether.[/quote]
Neo,
Like I said, while I don't necessarily agree with you on this, I have no argument on this subject. I was only pointing out how I thought you were wrong regarding the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.[/quote]
That's okay. I understand. I still don't think killing hundreds of thousands was okay to get the desired peace...it sounds close to what in principle, communist regimes did in soviet Russia. As long as the end result was peace, its ok to kill.