Thursday, July 29, 2010

Hiroshima and the Myths of Empire

By Gary G. Kohls
July 29, 2010

Since the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, millions of Americans have not wanted to address honestly the horror of that moment. Many were willing to swallow the post-war propaganda about the destruction of the city as necessary to avert the even worse death and devastation from a full-scale U.S. invasion of Japan.

Read on.

11 comments:

kristine Osbakken said...

Gary Kohls continues to search for and write historical truth. His work gets better and more clear the more he writes. Thank you, Gary.

Mike said...

So much bullshit, so little time.

The conditions that the Japanese sent out for their surrender was not limited to keeping their Emperor. It also included continued Japanese control and occupation of Korea and Taiwan, no occupation forces in mainland Japan, Japan would be responsible for its demilitarization, and it would require that all suspected Japanese war criminals be dealt with by the Japanese. These conditions, it should be noted, were the conditions of Japan’s civilian leadership who did not completely control the government. Decisions like this had to have the approval of the entire cabinet, and the Japanese army was willing to fight it out unit the bitter end.
That’s why the Japanese army spend most of May and June 1944 increasing reinforcements of Kyushu from 3 divisions to 12. They knew an invasion was imminent and were preparing for it.

In addition, the Japanese had a standing order to execute all 100,000 allied POW’s in its control if the mainland was invaded.

Anonymous said...

Gary Kohls should read the book Gold Warriors about the US recovery of Japan's Imperial looted treasure. The book was endorsed by Chalmers Johnson and Iris Chang and is very relevant to this story and the post-WW2 American Empire.

Mike, the state that America now finds itself in pretty much validates the harshest critiques leveled at the WW2 and Cold War architects of American Global Empire. I would guess that there is some metaphysical attachment you feel toward your country, but the weight of the arguments and the dire straits we find ourselves in now, point to the need to examine how we have been lied to and how it went so wrong. I humbly urge you to reexamine the your ideas about all of these things.

Anonymous said...

The biggest reason why the USA dropped the atomic bombs on Japan was to warn/show Russia what the USA had and was willing to do.

David R. said...

I applaud Gary Kohl's analysis of the dropping of atomic bombs in WWII and the myths of Empire. There's only one small point I would like to comment on. When Gary pleads with us to "do something for humanity," his message might have been stronger had he suggested that we selfishly strive for humanity's survival. By making the struggle our very own may we collectively overcome the addiction to war making of the power brokers.

Anonymous said...

The one thing I never understood, why did the USA let Russia take over all the countries they did after WW11?. They had the bomb, Russia did not. They could have stopped Russia.

The only reason I can come up with is the USA and others wanted to create the cold war, to make an evil empire in order to feed their own military industrial complex and make a lot of money for the few.

It also made the people vote for those who they mistakenly thought were acting in their best interests. Win,win all round for few. The bomb was not the biggest weapon in the world, fear was and the few knew it.

davidwwalters said...

Mike said...
"So much bullshit, so little time."

-It would have been possible to convey to the Japanese High Command our intent to use these weapons, which I'm sure they were aware of. That no negotiations were even explored, along with the opposition from top leadership in our own military, will lead history to brand The United States as committing as war crime.

Morton Kurzweil said...

The only reality effecting the use of atomic weapons today is the realization that America was fighting a war of cultural survival against fanatic despotism.
Such weapons are now in the hands of religious extremists who would annihilate themselves and all life as a holy act.
Empire is a nineteenth century myth believed by sixth century ideologists.
Climate change and overpopulation are the certainties in our future hidden in the mists of belief.

TequilaKid said...

I tend to agree with Mike. I believe Dr Kohls has seriously understated the obstinacy of the Japanese warrior class. From what I have read, the Japanese were indeed eagerly suing for peace, but were resolved to remain a substantial military power in Eastern Asia come what might.

TequilaKid said...

I tend to agree with Mike. I believe Dr Kohls has seriously understated the obstinacy of the Japanese warrior class. From what I have read, the Japanese were indeed eagerly suing for peace, but were resolved to remain a substantial military power in Eastern Asia come what might.

LaMar said...

Propaganda is an essential tool for creating myths, as is the case with the US, and its great deeds for the benefit of mankind. Sadly many of us believes these myths,willfully disregarding the true nature of empire and the historical evidence that contradict them.