Sunday, November 30, 2008
This Day in the History of Injudicious Uses of the Foreign Policy Bluff
On this day in 1950, President Truman declared the United States would use the atom bomb to get peace in Korea. So he was thinking about doing the right thing, but he didn't use them and the UN forces lost nearly 40,000; the Chinese lost perhaps as many as 400,000 and both North and South Koreans suffered, mainly the North Koreans over the past 58 years. If you say you're going to take Vienna, take Vienna. It appears that my criticism of Truman is 180 degrees from most peoples' criticism of Truman. I fault him for not using the bomb.
Labels: Korean War
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 8:40 AM 
Comments:
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Somehow I don't think China would be as forgiving as Japan has been.
I wonder what the fall-out would be. (pun intended)
I wonder what the fall-out would be. (pun intended)
Rog,
I do think your thoughts regarding the use of tactical nuclear weapons post Nagasaki are irrational.
PT is correct about the Chinese. Trust us on this one.
T
I do think your thoughts regarding the use of tactical nuclear weapons post Nagasaki are irrational.
PT is correct about the Chinese. Trust us on this one.
T
# posted by 
: 9:10 AM
: 9:10 AM
Who says the Japanese forgive us? Do the Chinese still hate the Brits and other Europeans for the Opium Wars? How about the reaction to the 'Boxers'? Did our stock rise with the defeat of Imperial Japan? How can you tell? The Chinese, like the Japanese, have some not undeserved home town pride and consider all non Chinese to be slightly better than dogs. How could we have seriously hurt ourselves vis a vis Chinese regard by beating them soundly in war? Just asking. Hope you find these questions rational and trivia soon, T.
Rog,
You know you should not go here. Merely consider the way the Chinese fel about the Japanese b/c of the rape of Nanjing. There remains a deeply rooted hatred that tends to be fanned to flame every time some Japanese politician makes remarks at the Japanese War Dead Memorial.
Now think how they would feel about us if we had used tactical nuclear weapons. Foregt about ping pong diplomacy.
T
You know you should not go here. Merely consider the way the Chinese fel about the Japanese b/c of the rape of Nanjing. There remains a deeply rooted hatred that tends to be fanned to flame every time some Japanese politician makes remarks at the Japanese War Dead Memorial.
Now think how they would feel about us if we had used tactical nuclear weapons. Foregt about ping pong diplomacy.
T
# posted by : 9:10 AM
: 9:10 AM
Sorry, I've looked at the history I know and consider the down side you outline to our nuking Chicom troop formations in N Korea and Manchuria largely outweighed by the subsequent (to not bombing) UN deaths and suffering of the Koreans. Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders.
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