Japan deserves an apology for the Atomic bombs?

Three articles appeared in the Today paper on 25 May discussing the merits of an apology from Obama to Japan. The three forumers looked at the issue from different perspectives. All referred to an earlier article ‘Atomic bombs unnecessary as Japan had plans to surrender’. 

A Japanese, Shigeru Ichige and a Mohammad Ali Aziz, took on a similar angle though the Japanese brought in the point that Russia had invaded Manchuria and Japan was about to surrender. Mohammad’s main point was the loss of innocent Japanese civilian lives. What is the important factor to both was the face or personalities involved.  To Shigeru, it was important that the Emperor’s title was safe and he was pleased that the ‘United States’ foresight to safeguard the emperorship’ that ended the war, with the help of the two Atomic bombs.

In the same line of thought, Mohammad said that if Obama were to apologise, he would be elevated to the same ‘stature of great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy.’ So for fame and stature, Obama should apologise, not because of the loss of innocent lives or the right or wrong of the whole savage affair of invading Asia and SE Asia by the Japanese Imperial Army that led to 24 million lives loss against the few thousand Japanese cooked in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans.

Both took a very narrow view of the war and totally ignored the brutality of the Japanese, their acts of war and the killing of millions of innocent lives and destruction of the economies of countries affected by the invasion.

The third writer, Chen Jun Yi, gave a more rounded coverage of the whole issue, about the great loss of lives and how the countries were greatly affected and more lives would be destroyed should the war continue. He quoted, and many must have forgotten or not told, of tiny East Timor that lost 70,000 lives out of a population of 480,000 to the Japanese. Did anyone care about these innocent lives or did the Japanese bother to apologise to them, and the 24 million killed and many more millions suffered by the savages from Japan? Not important, no need to bother. The innocent lives of the Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were more important?

And why should Obama apologise? Did anyone understand the state of mind of the Americans and their leaders like Roosevelt when the innocent Americans were bombed while still in bed, having their sweet dreams in Pearl Harbour?  From the day Pearl Harbour was bombed, the incensed Americans were fuming and waiting to avenge that darkest hours in their history, to deliver the same dessert to the Japanese in Tokyo.  The Americans were preparing for it since to avenge the death of their innocent fellow men. Anyone still think Obama should apologise? Obama would be kicked of out the White House in disgrace if he did that. There were more American boys and girls killed as a result of the unprovoked war inflicted on the Americans and the sneak attack on Pearl Harbour.

Commenting on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki without understanding the unprovoked aggressive invasion of Asia and SE Asia by the Japanese Imperial Army and the atrocities and hideous crimes committed to the innocent people in these countries, the destruction of their lies, homes and countries, resulting in 24 m death and more millions maimed is like a three season man claiming that there is no winter. The savage crimes committed by the Japanese cannot be atoned by the two Atomic bombs. And the Japanese got the cheek to ask for apologies and ignoramus agreed that this is so.