Originally posted by Toad
Yes, and there's always a time, place or incident where that tension begins. There's a conscious decision to do something that causes the tension.
Unemotionally, Japan is the nation that caused tension in Asia. There is no doubt, no confusion over this. It isn't propaganda either.
So, once again, with respect to the horrors visited upon them......
"If you don't START nothing, won't BE nothing."
They chose the path; they caused their own destruction.
And that is HISTORY, not propaganda.
Sure, Japan had a imperialistic attitude, and actively occupied land that was in the aim of other imperialistic powers.
No doubt they started the war.
The one that try to eat the all the food on the table it's asking for trouble by the other people sitting at the same table.
It's the vision that the "innocent and neutral" USA were opposing for humanitarian reasons, that disturb me.
There's no frigging nation then and now, that act for "humanitarian reasons", they can let you buy this, and if you are dumb enough you can believe it, but, as you already some time ago agreed, there's always a lot of more cynic and trivial (dont know if correct word) reasons behind.
Japan was not the nation that caused the tension, the tension was already present, since the western powers were "coldwar"-ing (lol a new term) since 19 century around the remnants of the imperial China.
The problem was that Japan was not part of the club and was not invited to the table.
Plus, Japan used a very aggressive way to sit down, and this build up more tension.
The situation was more complex that you seem to believe, and always is.
Pretending that a nation must have the same interests of the USA or if it's in contrast is "STARTING" something it's a little nationalistic, dont you believe?
The Japan was trying to join the club, forcefully, as all the club members already made in the past, but misjudged the importance to not have in common with the club the race and the basic culture.
In short, the concept i am trying to espress in my poor english is that "If you don't START nothing, won't BE nothing." it's a wrong statement, applied to story, in the game of the world history we can go back and back in time, since we can arrive to the first group of neolitic men that decided to stole the resources of the near other tribe.
THEY started it.
The question is "what is the best option we have, for the maximun advantage?" (in a completely cynical way).
Truman choise was the A-bomb.