Actually, number 182, the japanese government was not going to surrender. They were actually training civilians, women and children included, to use weapons and explosives. The Japanese were ready to fight it down to the last man. Estimated casualties for the US: over 1 million soldiers. And the civilian casualties for the japanese were well less than a million. That, in my mind, justifies the use of the Abomb
BTW, the US's navy was FAR from demolished, destroyed or what have you. The ships that sank and were injured, for the most part, were WW1-class battleships and destroyers. Our new, and more powerful part of our naval fleet was on a training run somewhere in the pacific. The japanese would have done alot more damage to the navy than they did if only they had bombed our oil reserves.
PS: People that watch the history channel a few times, read a textbook, or maybe some magazine articles, or a book (thats pushing it a bit) who post like what they say is fact and that they know history down pat are idiots. I know far from everything on history, even though ive read over 60 books on various historical eras and wars. People that think they are kings of history create an intense vaccum (suck).
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On the topic note, I pray for those that were killed, those that were injured in this "cowardly act of terrorism". I also pray for the families of all the victems.
What I think we should do is put pressure on the Taliban (the afganistan government that is letting Osama Bin Laden take refuge), and say something like "We know you are harboring Bin Laden, and we are going to bomb his base of operations and any other site we think is related to him and we think is nessessary. We will do this with or without your cooperation. If you do not cooperate, be ready to face the consequences."
And after they respond, if it is a 'fine go ahead' then we bomb Bin Laden's targets and send in a whole Delta Force platoon or company to do the BDA (battle damage assesment) and to wipe out any resisting survivors, and capture and bring back the non resisting survivors. Then (this is how I feel, although it may seem 'sick' to some of you guys n gals) we broadcast the torture of the captured terrorists on international TV and say "this is what happens to people who fuck with america". And not kill the bastards, and just let them live a life of torture, because they want to die, and that would just be fufilling their wish.
If the Taliban says no, go to war against them and bomb the shit out of them until they comply (NOT WITH NUKES THOUGH). Then go in and do what I said above to Osama Bin Laden.