Saturday, August 06, 2005

Was It Necessary?

"If you're thinking about casualties, think about Okinawa. More people were killed there than in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

Including an uncle of mine. Another uncle, who survived WWII (bombing the heck out of Germany instead of following Mahatma Gandhi's dreadful advice to allow ourselves to be slaughtered), saw action in Korea when he was not allowed to bomb the munitions factory that he, the navigator, could SEE because it was above an imaginary line. He retired because they were doing the same thing in Vietnam.

Of course, according to Gandhi, the Jews in WWII should have thrown themselves off cliffs.

It is too bad the bomb didn't end all wars. With such horror, you'd think maybe it could. But war is war and IS horrific. It is supposed to be, so we won't engage in it. But there are people and countries and times when, yes, it is necessary. And when it is, it isn't supposed to be pretty.

It is supposed to be won.

7 comments:

existentialist said...

Hello Contrary Goddess, I came in off Mad Cap Mum's site. My name is Olympiada. I have a blog, if you are interested. I would like to be a farm wife and a lover and all those things you are, but the sad fact of the matter is I am a suburban single mother, albeit in one of the 10 best places to live in the USA.
At any rate, I was wondering, what prompted that post? I have been seeing a lot of references to Gandhi lately...

H. Stallard said...

August 6, 1945 Hiroshima and Little Boy...August 9, 1945 Nagasaki and Fat Man.

Those who do not remember History are doomed to repeat it!

existentialist said...

I am well aware of Nagasaki, I share a birthday with it, and I am well aware of the quote "those who do not know there own history are doomed to repeat it", one of my high school counselor's drilled that into me. I liberated my self from high school. I did not like the Eurocentric textbooks.

existentialist said...

What do you mean evidently I liberated myself from being able to make connections?

existentialist said...

By the way, I detect a slight condescending tone towards me. If you would rather I not post on your blog, let me know.

Jim said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jim said...

"Contrary" and probably stubborn as a bull too!;~)

I know something about Taurus, the most highly compatible astrological sign to my very watery triple Scorpio.

Taurus is often contrary and outspoken which, I believe, is a very good thing!