>Michael Perelman wrote: > > Leahy did not understand that the bomb was dropped as a message to the > > USSR.
Rob wrote: >Well, that was certainly a salient component, Michael. I think bloodless >technocratic 'ecologically valid field-testing' was tragically part of it, >too. But let's have a little empathy for the grunts contemplating the beaches >of Japan at the beginning of that August, eh? I don't think that justifies >the second bomb, mind, and the question of the site of the first (ensuring >massive civilian mortality) certainly remains. the grunts didn't know that an invasion of Japan wasn't really necessary, since Japan was trying to surrender anyway. The Japanese elite wanted to keep its emperor, but the US wanted "unconditional surrender." In the end, despite the A-bombs, the Japanese kept their emperor. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
