TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE:
America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say on this leaflet.
We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man. A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2000 of our giant B-29s can carry on a single mission. This awful fact is one for you to ponder and we solemnly assure you it is grimly accurate.
We have just begun to use this weapon against your homeland. If you still have any doubt, make inquiry as to what happened to Hiroshima when just one atomic bomb fell on that city.
Before using this bomb to destroy every resource of the military by which they are prolonging this useless war, we ask that you now petition the Emperor to end the war. Our president has outlined for you the thirteen consequences of an honorable surrender. We urge that you accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better and peace-loving Japan.
You should take steps now to cease military resistance. Otherwise, we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war.
Not My Tribe
The Myth of Middle Ground
To my Japanese friends: The above is satire. I hope it carries well in translation. Today, I read that the Japanese have great longevity. The news story said it comes from close bonds and awareness. I think there is more…
Shinnen
Sessei
Kibou
Jizen
Kennin
Seigi
Kennin
Kakkoii. Atama ii. Zettaini sou desu!
(…and a little bit of rock and roll!)
?????
Yep, I know. I doubled the fortitude and forgot the prudence. Like I said – it’s rock and roll!
That wasn’t satire. That was the content of leaflets distributed by the U.S. military to the Japanese people at Nagasaki not 24 hours before we dropped the bomb. I guess our government felt that that was sufficient time to petition the emperor.
Good eve Marie. Ok perhaps not satire. Tragic irony?
The two previous YEARS when the Japanese had tried to surrender with at least the dignity of keeping their religious beliefs and were met with “unconditional surrender or nothing”…
Now, that could possibly have saved the lives of every American and Japanese and British and Australian and Chinese and Vietnamese and Indian and Burmese and …. from 1943 on.
Probably would have freed up a lot of the world’s armies to deal with Hitler and Mussolini as well. But of course, it was the A-bomb and ONLY the A-bomb which saved all those lives.
Not counting all the soldiers who died in the Pacific Rim and Asia and even North Africa and Europe as a result of the “Unconditional surrender” doctrine.
And leave us not forget, the vastly larger number of non-combatants who died.