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From: bill@persci.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Re: (use of atomic bomb)
Message-ID: <372@persci.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 15:27:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: persci.372
Posted: Wed Aug 21 15:27:01 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:20:55 EDT
References: <1733@mnetor.UUCP> <344@persci.UUCP> <1259@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: bill@persci.UUCP ( )
Lines: 30
Summary: 

In article <1259@umcp-cs.UUCP> mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) writes:
>>Remember, we didn't have the resources to build unlimited numbers. ..And
>>we DID fly over Nagasaki before it was bombed, dropping leaflets to warn
>>the populace. I don't remember if we did the same for Hiroshima, but we
>>did risk a lot of American aviators' lives dropping warnings over enemy
>>territory, instead of bombs.
>
>I'm sorry, but dropping leaflets can only be viewed as either an attempt
>to assuage the consciences of those responsible, or (at best) wishful
>thinking.  It's hard to imagine a civilian taking them as anything but
>propaganda.
>Charley Wingate

Sorry, Charley, you are wrong. Think about it for a minute, in the context
of the time between Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We had already demonstrated the
capability. Now we are warning that Nagasaki will go, too. This wouldn't be
viewed as mere propaganda (else why did the government scurry about to
collect all the leaflets before anybody could read them?). This is putting
more pressure on the Japanese.

Now think of the effect if they are believed, and most of the population is
gone when the bomb goes off. Many people are not killed, and, homeless and
disoriented, become a bigger burden on a collapsing war economy. The intent
is to END THE WAR, not to kill people nor amuse them with propaganda. I doubt
that in the war we would have risked valuable aviators to "assuage the
consciences".


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