Sorry, but untrue. They were trying to create essentially a Cease Fire so they could rebuild - nothing more. And it was not the Emperor attempting it, but the military commanders.
The army was prepared to fight to the last man. As evidence, please note that members of the army staged a coup because they found out that the emperor was going to surrender. They were willing to rise up against their God-on-Earth because they wanted to keep fighting. Unheard of! But yet, these officers who swore to die on their emperors word turned against him and captured the palace because they didn't want to surrender. So anyone saying they'd peacefully surrender without a massive blood bath need only look at what happened in the palace the night before the Emperor's broadcast, and what happened in Okinawa.
In the battle of Okinawa, 225,000 died on both sides. Had the war gone on, you could easily multiply that number by 20, and the survivors would have no industry or food of any sort. That the bombs are horrible is without question. But the long drawn out seige which was the alternative would have been far worse for both sides.
What's truly sad is that all the little countries of the world are trying to get these weapons, just so they can brag and pretend it's cool. I would like to see one test in a deep desert every 25 years, and require every world leader and rising leader to watch. Have them all build a city, pouring money and time into it, and let them watch as it's all wiped out in a second. Let them take the realization that pursuing such bombs makes them subject to retaliation with the same things, and that populated cities are far more valuable.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-07 01:33 am (UTC)The army was prepared to fight to the last man. As evidence, please note that members of the army staged a coup because they found out that the emperor was going to surrender. They were willing to rise up against their God-on-Earth because they wanted to keep fighting. Unheard of! But yet, these officers who swore to die on their emperors word turned against him and captured the palace because they didn't want to surrender. So anyone saying they'd peacefully surrender without a massive blood bath need only look at what happened in the palace the night before the Emperor's broadcast, and what happened in Okinawa.
In the battle of Okinawa, 225,000 died on both sides. Had the war gone on, you could easily multiply that number by 20, and the survivors would have no industry or food of any sort. That the bombs are horrible is without question. But the long drawn out seige which was the alternative would have been far worse for both sides.
What's truly sad is that all the little countries of the world are trying to get these weapons, just so they can brag and pretend it's cool. I would like to see one test in a deep desert every 25 years, and require every world leader and rising leader to watch. Have them all build a city, pouring money and time into it, and let them watch as it's all wiped out in a second. Let them take the realization that pursuing such bombs makes them subject to retaliation with the same things, and that populated cities are far more valuable.