In the 1920’s heavy industries began developing in Hiroshima, and by the end of the 1930’s, these were also being transformed into factories for military production.
By the time of the A-bombing, the Hiroshima Bay area, combined with the naval facilities in Kure, had taken on a strong military character.

Money quote:

The Kamikaze atttacks had become more sophisticated since they were first used in the Philippines. Rarely did a single plane attack. They attacked in numbers and took evasive action. On April 6th and April 12th 1945, the Kamikaze flights leaving Kyushu numbered in the hundreds of planes. Combat air patrols intercepted and shot down many of these planes but still a large number got through. Combat air patrols would have had limited effectiveness at Kyushu. It is safe to say that the invasion of Kyushu would have been extraordinarily costly in American lives. Stand back if you mention to me or any of my comrades in arms at Okinawa that the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima was unnecessary.

Stewart should go and listen to the remaining WWII veterans who can still tell him to the face to p*ss off. Same to that stupid troll who thinks that Japan was happily willing to surrender.

The people then were fanatical and were willing to kill for the Emperor-god if necessary. Even the children were trained to kill. (Sounds familiar? But of course! That was no different from the Islamofascists we’re dealing with today.) Doesn’t it sound interesting that it took two atomic bombs – on orders from Harry Truman, a President who never went to college – to knock the Japanese back to reality?

Jon Stewart has apologized for what he termed as his “stupid” characterization of President Harry Truman as a war criminal because the US did not explode a demonstration atomic bomb before using one on Hiroshima.
…

If the goal was to save lives, wouldn’t allowing more than 3 days for the Japanese leadership and people to comprehend the effects of a weapon the world had never seen used before make some sense?

Let me guess … you have not yet watched the Bill Whittle PJTV piece, have you?

Quick. It’s at the top of Instapundit. We’ll wait.

Uhm. No.

Japan was perfectly willing to surrender. They wanted to keep a symbol. In order not to let them keep a symbol, thousands of their citizens were melted alive.

This is what makes it a war crime. Although there is some distance between a war crime and calling the President a war criminal.

Uhm. No.

Don’t look now but radiofreevillage is being a moron.

originalpechanga on May 1, 2009 at 4:48 PM

Thanks for posting that.

He said something in the midst of a debate, thought about it later, and decided that he was wrong. Shouldnt we be glad that people are willing to be intellectually honest and admit when they’ve made a mistake?
orange on May

If ya saw the original tape where he said Yes Truman was a war criminal, he had to stop and think before he gave his answer.

Considering the context of the subject, War criminals, War Crimes, and the use of A-bombs on Japan, the question “was Truman a war Criminal” for using the A-Bomb on Japan, I find it hard to believe he did an opps sorry, I miss spoke.

I think he was “intellectually honest (with himself)” with his first answer.

His apology seems contrived, damage control.

That doesn’t garner a lot of respect.

Now, not only is he a moron for his “Truman was a war Criminal”, he is also a spineless gutless pathetic moron.

They would much rather believe that there’s a third choice in which you don’t drop the bomb and you don’t have to invade.
PackerBronco

Would that be the

“click our heals and say there’s no place like
home”

option?

Hot AIR readers MUCH watch Bill Whittle’s takedown of Jon Stewart and schooling on dropping the Atomic Bombs on Japan:
http://www.pjtv.com/video/Afterburner_/The_True_Story_of_the_Atomic_Bombs/1808/
17 minutes of WORTHWHILE education….
originalpechanga on May 1

This needs to be run on primetime TV.

With little Joniey Stewart in attendance

Jon Stewart: Hey, sorry for calling Harry Truman a war criminal

Get back under your rock Dick-Head, and don’t come out unless you’re told to.

only then will the left….”get it”