In the real world news today Thurs, November 29 2018

[Bruce]

True @goatgurl, for those innocents that died, were maimed or permanently sickened. But from the WWII documentaries I've watched, those bombs likely saved millions of others both Japanese and Allied had the Allies gone on to invade Japan proper. At least at the time the Japanese were "no surrender, ever". It took that huge action to replace "no surrender" with thoughtful consideration of what continuing the war would mean to the people of Japan.

These days we get wound up about "collateral damage". Target drone on a compound with enemy fighters, kill some innocent women and children and there is a big uproar. That was not a "thing" in WWII, the devastation of the occupied countries was immense. Destruction of London in the Blitz, even though England was never invaded, lots of innocents killed.
"How many people died during the World War Two Blitz in Britain? During the Blitz 32,000 civilians were killed and 87,000 were seriously injured. Two million houses (60 per cent of these in London) were destroyed in the Blitz."
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/blitz.htm

I'd be willing to bet that if we had the A bomb 18 months earlier and dumped it on Berlin, DDay and everything that followed in Europe would have been unnecessary and the Japanese would have bailed at the same time. Hopefully the world will never get to that point again.

I've never thought about it before, Hiroshima was destroyed on my mother's 17th birthday.

 

[goatgurl]

i'll go with observe guys. I certainly realize how those events changed the world and I agree with you both, it saved millions of lives. but as you said @Bruce, it also cost so many innocent lives. but when you look at the millions of lives that hitler and his followers took you kind of wish we could have dropped it on his head years sooner.

 

[Bruce]

Yeah, in hindsight, 1939 would have been an excellent time.

 

[greybeard]

We tend very much, to focus on the war in Europe and always have, perhaps because of our historic ties to that continent,and our familiarity with the name places and countries but by far the most difficult part (tho not the most deadly) of WW2 was the war in the Pacific, but for the dropping of the 2 bombs, that could have easily been reversed.
Depending who you ask,
In the Pacific, rounded, the US took about 360,00 casualties total.

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Casualties

In Europe, and North Africa, it works out to about 750,000 casualties in total.

But, the assault on Japan alone, (had it taken place) was projected to cost more than what we lost in Europe.
"A study done for Secretary of War Henry Stimson's staff by William Shockley estimated that invading Japan would cost 1.7–4 million American casualties, including 400,000–800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall#Estimated_casualties

In March 1945, there was only one combat division in Kyūshū. Over the next four months, the Imperial Japanese Army transferred forces from Manchuria, Korea, and northern Japan, while raising other forces in place. By August, they had 14 divisions and various smaller formations, including three tank brigades, for a total of 900,000 men.[59] Although the Japanese were able to raise large numbers of new soldiers, equipping them was more difficult. By August, the Japanese Army had the equivalent of 65 divisions in the homeland but only enough equipment for 40 and only enough ammunition for 30.[60]



In addition, the Japanese had organized the Volunteer Fighting Corps, which included all healthy men aged 15 to 60 and women 17 to 40 for a total of 28 million people, for combat support and, later, combat jobs. Weapons, training and uniforms were generally lacking: many were armed with nothing better than antiquated firearms, molotov cocktails, longbows, swords, knives, bamboo or wooden spears, and even clubs and truncheons; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.[62][63]One mobilized high school girl, Yukiko Kasai, found herself issued an awl and told, "Even killing one American soldier will do. ... You must aim for the abdomen.".

They wouldn't need much in the way of weapons. Numbers alone could overwhelm even division strength units.
Fight 28.9 million or drop the atom bombs?
No brainer.

 

[greybeard]

i'll go with observe guys. I certainly realize how those events changed the world and I agree with you both, it saved millions of lives. but as you said @Bruce, it also cost so many innocent lives. but when you look at the millions of lives that hitler and his followers took you kind of wish we could have dropped it on his head years sooner.

Oh, no problem..you did say you realized why it had to be done.
Look at it this way too....those 2 bombs probably saved up to 29 million Japanese lives.

Regarding Germany, I probably should not go into what I would have done at the end of the war, with that country and it's people.

 

[greybeard]

In the real world news today, comes a herd of cows, helping Seminole County Fla Sheriff's Dept corral a guy that stole then crashed a car. (I guess I'm supposed to say "allegedly stole and crashed a car")

 

[Southern by choice]

 

[mystang89]

LOL

 

[RollingAcres]

Hahahaha

 

[Bruce]

(I guess I'm supposed to say "allegedly stole and crashed a car")

Correct. No one is ever guilty even when caught red handed.

That video Nothing like a herd to help the cops follow you.