Von Braun

[Lawrence Bryan]

Given the political climate of the times, of course there was no  
feelings of guilt. With almost perfect hindsight we can see other  
alternatives today that were essentially invisible 60+ years ago. To  
blame the decision makers of that time is rather silly and pointless.  
But to point out the other options that were there but not considered  
seriously, if at all, is a perfectly legitimate exercise. Too bad  
today's deciders are just as blind to other options. We, apparently,  
cannot learn from history.

Lawrence

On Oct 11, 2007, at 8:21 AM, David Morris wrote:

Henry, I agree with your reasoning below.

On the other front, I've been watching some of Ken Burns' "The War"
documentary,  and found the episode which focused on the Pacific
front, leading up to the A-bomb's being dropped on Nagasaki &
Hiroshima to be enlightening.  Conventional battle against the
Japanese on their own soil was devastating for the Allied Forces in
terms of casualties.  The Japanese were dug-in, fiercely defending
every inch, and their Air Force consisted of suicide bombers hurling
themselves and their planes at Allied ships.  Before the A-bombs were
dropped, everyone expected huge numbers of Allied casualties before
the Japanese would be defeated.  As we know, even after the first bomb
was dropped the  Emperor refused to surrender, an exhibit of their
defiance against defeat.  The A-bombs, horrible as they were, ended
the war immediately, but the total casualties from both bombs was far
less than the anticipated Allied losses if the war  continued as it
had been going.

For the Greatest Generation, those A-bombs were a God-send, and they
didn't feel guilty about their use.

David Morris

On 10/11/07, Henry <scuffling at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> All deaths, particularly against randomly targeted civilians, e.g.  
> the rockets and... oh, yeah, the camps!, caused by the Nazis/Axis  
> in support of their pure purposes of the final solution and  
> admitted goal of a world-wide dictatorship, were too many, and are  
> incomparable to the deaths, even thousands more than necessary,   
> wrought by the Americans/Allies in their however impurely purposed  
> fight against them.  That's what I believe, and FWIW, I don't think  
> that my readings of TRP in general, and GR in particular, lead me  
> to believe that TRP thinks otherwise, but your mileage may vary,  
> particularly if you are so deconstructioanal as to suggest that  
> intent cannot be known, and is therefore irrelevant.
>