Lest We Forget: August 15

[Moses]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

Thus the bombs shortened the war and resulted in hundreds of thousands of American lives being saved.

This again is pure speculation and propaganda of American nuclear militarism:

From day 1 (December 7, 1941) to day 1366 (September 2, 1945), the US lost in the war with Japan 111,606 people. During the entire war, the US lost almost 2 times less than your minimum "hundreds of thousands", which implies at least 2 hundred thousand.

Therefore, "hundreds of thousands" is an obvious exaggeration and propaganda hyperbole to justify the barbaric nuclear bombing of the civilian population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The only purpose of the bombing was intimidation and a demonstration of force.

Exactly the same barbaric was the bombing of Dresden by the British in 1945, who used incendiary bombs in such quantities that a firestorm developed in the city, burning the city along with the population in whole streets - the temperature was above 1000 degrees Celsius.

[PeterRS]

2 hours ago, Moses said:

This again is pure speculation and propaganda of American nuclear militarism

What else wou;d we expect a Putin propagandist to say?

[Moses]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

What else wou;d we expect a Putin propagandist to say?

Once I spoke with these words in your defense. Now I will tell the same to you:

When an opponent with low culture and/or education finds himself in a situation where he has nothing to add or object to, he resorts to personal attacks. Just like illiterate peasant grannies at a village market who argue over the best trading place.

[vinapu]

8 hours ago, Moses said:

 

The only purpose of the bombing was intimidation and a demonstration of force.

 

is that bad when you deal with enemy who attacked you ? Specially that we know war was finished within days

[Moses]

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

deal with enemy

you don't see difference btw "deal with enemy" and "waporising in nuclear flame hundreds of thousands of civilians"?

[vinapu]

26 minutes ago, Moses said:

you don't see difference btw "deal with enemy" and "waporising in nuclear flame hundreds of thousands of civilians"?

of course I don't, how could I ? My country never sent tanks to crush Prague or Budapest uprisings neither bombed Laos and napalmed Vietnam and instigated coups to remove lawful premiers in Iran and presidents in Guatemala and Chile and did not try to force me to believe it was right thing to do . No I don't , it's why I' always amazed with lack of shame  of people and populations  justifying and glorifying wars like some distinguished members here.

[unicorn]

On 8/14/2025 at 8:09 PM, PeterRS said:

It has long ago lost its meaning for most, which is more than sad. August 15 marks the formal end of the war in the Pacific. This was the day when the Japanese Emperor spoke to his nation for the first time. I think most of us can remember his talking...

I suspect that most of us aren't that old... 😉

[a-447]

PeterRS wrote: "This was the day when the Japanese Emperor spoke to his nation for the first time."

Old people in Japan often told me that they hardly understood anything in the emperor's speech, as he spoke in a special language used only in the imperial court.

I went through the Japanese education system. In history classes Japan was always represented as a victim, not a perpetrator. The emphasis was on the suffering caused by the nuclear bombing.

The first time I knew about the Rape of Nanking was when I saw an exhibition snout it in the Hiroshima Peace Museum years ago.

There is a small military museum located within the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. It features a steam locomotive which was used in Thailand , but there is no mention of the infamous railway,

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, unicorn said:

I suspect that most of us aren't that old... 😉

but I'm old enough to remember Hirohito opening 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and I was surprised that emperor is dressed in ordinary suit , not as in fairy tales illustrations with crown and other regalia

[unicorn]

57 minutes ago, vinapu said:

but I'm old enough to remember Hirohito opening 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and I was surprised that emperor is dressed in ordinary suit , not as in fairy tales illustrations with crown and other regalia

I'm not that old, but he was still emperor on my first trip to Japan in the mid 80s. At the time, years were indicated by the year of his reign, which was along the lines of year 57 when I was there, rather than the Gregorian calendar year. I haven't seen that old convention being used on my subsequent trips to Japan--they seemed to have switched to the Gregorian calendar. 

[a-447]

9 hours ago, unicorn said:

I'm not that old, but he was still emperor on my first trip to Japan in the mid 80s. At the time, years were indicated by the year of his reign, which was along the lines of year 57 when I was there, rather than the Gregorian calendar year. I haven't seen that old convention being used on my subsequent trips to Japan--they seemed to have switched to the Gregorian calendar. 

Both systems are still used. 

The imperial system, called gengou, is used in all official documents. Magazine articles also tend to use it. Sometimes, both are used; e.g. the date at the top of the newspaper.

I grew up in the shouwa era of Emperor Hirohito, and we never used the Gregorian system.

I remember when Hirohito died. Everyone knew he was on his death bed and calendar makers were desperate for him to die before they printed their new ones, as that would mean they would all have to be recalled and reprinted with the new era name. Unfortunately for him, he died on January 7, 1989.

The scene outside the palace was quite ghoulish, as the media were camped out, waiting for him to die.

Upon his death, all TV programs were replaced by shows dedicated to his life. Entertainment venues were forced to close. This went on for a couple of weeks, and people were quietly upset. Bars were finally allowed to open, but could not play music or serve alcohol. 

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, a-447 said:

Both systems are still used. 

The imperial system, called gengou, is used in all official documents. Magazine articles also tend to use it. Sometimes, both are used; e.g. the date at the top of the newspaper.

I grew up in the shouwa era of Emperor Hirohito, and we never used the Gregorian system.

I remember when Hirohito died. Everyone knew he was on his death bed and calendar makers were desperate for him to die before they printed their new ones, as that would mean they would all have to be recalled and reprinted with the new era name. Unfortunately for him, he died on January 7, 1989.

The scene outside the palace was quite ghoulish, as the media were camped out, waiting for him to die.

Upon his death, all TV programs were replaced by shows dedicated to his life. Entertainment venues were forced to close. This went on for a couple of weeks, and people were quietly upset. Bars were finally allowed to open, but could not play music or serve alcohol. 

arigato gozaimas for enlightening us

[a-447]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

arigato gozaimas for enlightening us

Dou itashimashite!

[unicorn]