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Last Friday morning in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that this year’s Peace Prize will be awarded to a Japanese organization called Nihon Hidankyo, which was founded in 1956 and which has campaigned ever since for the elimination of nuclear weapons. At a press conference in Tokyo following the Nobel Prize announcement, the head of Nihol Hidankyo, Toshiyuki Mimaki, declared that the children of Gaza are now undergoing the same kind of suffering that Japanese children experienced at the end of World War II.
An interesting observation – and a valid one. But what Mimaki neglected to add is that the suffering of Gaza’s children now, like the suffering of Japanese children then, is entirely the fault of their own governments, and indeed, in most cases, their own parents. October 7 of last year has been described as Israel’s 9/11; it could also be compared to Pearl Harbor – an unprovoked attack on the United States that fully justified our response.
Like Hirohito’s military, Hamas stands out for its sheer brutality, its indifference to the lives of civilians (not just the enemy’s civilians, but its own), and its obsessive determination to kill and conquer and destroy. Hamas’s hostage-taking brings to mind Japan’s POW camps, which made Hitler’s look humane. The utter mercilessness of Hamas’s actions of October 7 shocked the world – at least those people in the world who hadn’t been brainwashed into viewing Gaza as an “open-air prison” and Israel as the moral equivalent of Nazi Germany.
Another similarity: just as Japan’s ruthless militarism and empire-building enjoyed widespread support among the Japanese people – even though their leaders treated them as cannon fodder, persuading thousands of them, for example, to become kamikaze pilots – Hamas’s attack on Israel was cheered by the Gazan people, even though Hamas leaders, instead of spending foreign aid from around the world to better those people’s lives, used it to acquire weapons, build tunnels, and buy mansions for themselves in Qatar. Whatever you may think of Truman’s decision to drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the major long-term consequence of that decision, and of the humane U.S. occupation that followed, was the transformation of the Japanese people’s fanatical and dangerous militarism, emperor-worship, and doctrine of racial superiority into a sincere devotion to peace, freedom, productivity, and prosperity. General Douglas MacArthur, who governed postwar Japan, praised its people for having “undergone the greatest reformation recorded in modern history. With a commendable will, eagerness to learn, and marked capacity to understand, they have, from the ashes left in war’s wake, erected in Japan an edifice dedicated to the supremacy of individual liberty and personal dignity.” We can only hope that Israel’s surgical warfare in Gaza effects a similar change on the part of the Gazan people, although I’m not holding my breath. Why? Because the ideology that sent those monsters charging into Israel on October 7 isn’t confined to Hamas or Gaza but, alas, infects Muslims around the world.
In 2017 the Nobel Prize in Literature was presented to Kazuo Ishiguro, who was born in Japan – in Nagasaki, as it happens – but who has lived since the age of five in Britain, where in 2018 he was awarded a knighthood. Best known for the 1989 novel The Remains of the Day (which became a hit film starring Anthony Hopkins), Ishiguro is also the author of An Artist of the Floating World (1986), which is set in Japan during the period shortly after the end of the war. One of the striking things about the book is that its protagonist isn’t consumed with undying rage over America’s dropping of atom bombs; on the contrary, he’s eaten up by remorse over his active support, before and during the war, for the totalitarian regime that led the country into war and that cruelly oppressed its domestic critics. Other characters in the book have put the pre-war mentality behind them entirely and have embraced not just American-style democracy but also American culture.
Yes, the existence of nuclear weapons is terrifying. Ronald Reagan wanted to rid the world of them. Donald Trump has said that he feels the same way, and that if re-elected he would confer with Putin and Xi as the first step of a comprehensive, long-term effort to bring about the total elimination of such weapons. But of course finding a safe route from mutual assured destruction to a nuclear-free world is the diciest and most dangerous of propositions. I’m old enough to remember the peak days, late in the Cold War, of the reckless no-nukes movement, which was run by idiots who preached unilateral Western disarmament. Needless to say, that’s not the answer to the problem.
I don’t know anything about Nihol Hidankyo or Toshiyuki Mimaki. Perhaps it’s a responsible-minded group. Perhaps he’s a reasonable man. But his remark about Gaza suggests otherwise. In the decades between its founding in 1948 and the attacks of October 7, 2023, Israel tried to take a moderate approach to Muslim aggression. It pursued a policy that combined limited retaliation with attempts at peaceful coexistence. While the so-called Palestinians brought up their children to hate and kill Jews, the Israelis brought up their children to believe in common humanity, the power of kindness and forgiveness, and the possibility that Muslims who were determined to carry out a second Holocaust could eventually become their trusted friends. Over the decades, Israeli citizens were subjected to innumerable jihadist attacks that took the lives of a great many innocents. Yet Israeli policy remained the same: react proportionally and then move on. October 7 changed everything. Suddenly, Israelis realized that they’d been fooling themselves and that the only sensible way to respond to Hamas’s actions was to do – well, precisely what they’re doing now.
In the Pacific theater of World War Two, America had an alternative to atom bombs – namely, a long, slow invasion of Japan’s home islands. Such an invasion would have caused massive American and Japanese deaths. And even if the U.S. had emerged victorious, would such a victory have had the same powerful impact on the Japanese psyche as Hiroshima and Nagasaki? After the attacks of 9/11, America’s leaders could have targeted the Islamic world within hours in a way that could well have shaken the world’s Muslims to the core and caused hundreds of millions of them to abjure at once their religion’s more pernicious and primitive doctrines – just as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took about 200,000 lives, instantly and for all time eradicated the poisonous ideology that had led to at least 25 million deaths in the Pacific war. Instead, the U.S. government prosecuted very long, deadly, and expensive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that accomplished absolutely nothing even as that same government, in collusion with the corporate media and academic elites, aggressively whitewashed the very ideology that had inspired the 9/11 attacks.
So it is that the worldwide danger of Islam, 23 years after 9/11, is greater than ever. Compare that to Japan, which by 1967, 23 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was a free and prosperous American ally. Food for thought as the world’s media celebrate the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihol Hidankyo.
All the pearl clutching moralists – on “our” side –
babbling about dropping nukes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki …
make me puke.
Obviously these Karens have no idea that they’re engaged in moral equivalency of the lowest kind …
As if somehow the slaughter of the enemy at Hiroshima and Nagasaki is somehow …
worse than the Rape of Nanking?
For that matter, any of the atrocities committed by the Axis or the Allies. Or the Commies.
Especially here at FPM, one would think that nuking a city or two to save millions of lives on BOTH sides …
CANNOT be worse than the YOU KNOW WHAT!
Somehow it’s more moral to shoot, hang, disembowel, enslave, rape, starve, or bomb people
… than to vaporize them?
Notice I didn’t mention ‘gas.’ Would that be more moral?! I think not.
Honestly, the nukes have had a decidedly high body count: Not from their use, but because they have allowed our communists and their communists to fight endless wars for no reason other than profit and sadism. But that came later – and it’s a result of being ruled by sadistic lunatics who think they’re gods.
Using nukes to end WW2 was just as reasonable as deciding not to lose the war in the first place.
And anyone who is against the nukes today, supports the crimes of the Japanese Empire.
Ironically, the convential bombing of Japanese cities (e.g., March 45 incindiary raid on Tokyo) killed more people than the A-bombs. But nobody seems to have noticed that.
It was WAR.
Had we invaded Japan, many more, including American soldiers would have died…..the bombs saved lives.
It would be funny if this asshole were killed by a Muslim.
“just as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took about 200,000 lives, instantly and for all time eradicated the poisonous ideology that had led to at least 25 million deaths in the Pacific war.”
So long as man has free will no society is guaranteed to remain RATIONAL for all time. A rational republic if you can keep it — eternal vigilance — are the key words.
Even as we speak America and the West are slowly drifting into a New Dark Age of irrationality.
“Amazingly, Edgerton points out, Tasmanians could not take advantage of the ocean surrounding their island, because although they once learned how to fish, they forgot or gave up the practice. Thus, many Tasmanians perished of starvation despite the availability of a plentiful food source all around them.” – Dinesh D’Souza
Mr. End of the World strikes again. Another useless warning about our drift into irrationality from the king of irrationality.
And you got the Ben Franklin quote wrong, dummkopff.
“After the attacks of 9/11, America’s leaders could have targeted the Islamic world within hours in a way that could well have shaken the world’s Muslims to the core ”
Definitely true, and the resulting mass ever extending never ending war on terror has created much more suffering around the world and continues to this very day.
Time for America and the west to stop getting involved in global wars, if Russia and Ukraine want to fight then let them. Help any women and children who need to escape from the conflict, but involvement in foreign wars must end. NONE of the wars has resulted in any improvement anywhere.
“A proper war in self-defense is one fought without self-crippling restrictions placed on our commanders in the field. It must be fought with the most effective weapons we possess (a few weeks ago, Rumsfeld refused, correctly, to rule out nuclear weapons). And it must be fought in a manner that secures victory as quickly as possible and with the fewest U.S. casualties, regardless of the countless innocents caught in the line of fire. These innocents suffer and die because of the action of their own government in sponsoring the initiation of force against America. Their fate, therefore, is their government’s moral responsibility. There is no way for our bullets to be aimed only at evil men.” – Leonard Peikoff, “End States Who Sponsor Terrorism”
“Ayn Rand on the Death of Innocents in War”
Please, not another preachy video/homework assignment from your ugly girl friend.
Guess what, we don’t need to be “taught a lesson” from 50 year old videos.
But, we should listen to you preach? You engage in homosexual activity and then “preach” your fake Lutheran Christianity. We should hear you preach?
You attend a church that was notorious for antisemitism and you engage in sinful behavior but want to preach to THX and others? Sit down fool!
Excuse me. Was I talking to you? I don’t think so. Take your 3rd grade insults and accusations and GFY.
You really aren’t as smart as the other homosexually obsessed fool, Sumsrent. It’s funny how ill-informed so called Christians are basically crazy.
Here’s a hint: I’m not leaving my church. Lutheran and proud of it. And I don’t have to listen to you. I’ll take on any one I want. But it’s good to know it’s so easy to get under your thin skin.
We’ve got an average attendance of 500 people every weekend. How many at your church? Sucks to be you.
First off, nobody cares you’re gay, pal. Nobody is obsessed with you being gay. Enjoy yourself. You’ve already accumulated around 18 down votes because people see what a clown you act like.
Seriously., the only one obsessed here is you with your fetish for THX. What do you do hang around FPM looking to jump in his every post? Seriously man it’s pathetic . Listen, you might be a nice guy, but who knows. What I do know is based on your posts and your fixation with THX it appears you have some mental health issues. I’m not trying to be mean. You need to take a step back and self reflect.
Just keeping it real.
Sumsrent seems to think I am gay because my church’s synod is ELCA, so there’s that. Maybe you should read his drivel.
As for me and my so called “fetish” for THX, too bad for you. Why do you care? He lies about Catholics and Lutherans and pretty much hates my country because of endless objectivism. Maybe you are an objectivist fan. So I’ll keep doing it. If it makes you mad, too bad. You ain’t my boss, or anyone’s boss. You are simply a Jew hating simp. If you want to waste your time, by all means waste your time. You seem to have a fetish for me. What are you trying to prove here?
It’s also not your business if there is one female pastor or 100 at my church. My guess is you really don’t have a church, but then I really don’t care.
Maybe you should try minding your own business. Just keeping it real………pal.
I don’t even bother reading Sumsrents post. I don’t even agree with many things THX says, but unlike you, I don’t feel the need to respond to every one of his posts. You’re obnoxious and nobody takes you serious. It’s sad.
Second, I call people out whether they are Jewish, Catholic, black or white, if they do the wrong thing. You play the gay card like blacks play the race card. Nobody cares you have a female pastor. However, I called you out because you, not me, but you stated you have multiple woke pastors at your church who are pro abortion and welcome gay marriage. Your church goes against everything Christianity stands for, but you stay because they openly welcome gay folks like yourself. The Lutheran church has been notoriously antisemitic.
Try to calm down people here don’t find you amusing.
Poor SebbyWebby
Maybe you should compare the number of upvotes I get compared to THX over the course of a few weeks.
As usual wrong again…..pal
The DUTY of a Nation’s Leaders is to safeguard THEIR CITIZENS! That should be clearly understood by ALL OTHER NATIONS! IF we must declare war on a Nation then it’s OUR DUTY to OUR CITIZENS to END that war as quickly as possible! And HOW do you do that? We should make it clear that WHO starts the war will be absolutely and PERMANENTLY destroyed! The initial response should NOT be “proportional” – it should be DEVASTATINGLY SHOCKING! Israel has faced terrorists attacks for far too long and now they have reached a point of NO RETURN! The terrorists are paying for their actions but in a controlled, humane way! Israel could have and probably SHOULD have just flooded the tunnels with natural gas, lit the fuse, and observed where all the explosions occurred. They did not do this – they found the tunnels, searched for HOSTAGES, and destroyed the tunnels without inflicting civilian casualties. They would be JUSTIFIED to monitor the rocket launches, determine the origins, and directed return fire without any consideration of who might be there – but they don’t!
Now the DIFFERENCE with Japan vs muslims! There’s nothing to compare – Japan DID have some shred of humanity for their OWN people! And look where Japan is today compared to any muslim nation – free and prosperous!
More lives were saved from death in prisoners of war camps than were killed by the atomic bombs. Hundreds of thousands, including Americans, were supposed to be killed before being liberated. The loss of Japanese supply lines would have starved them. Nobody knows how many lives were saved by the surrender. American deaths in an invasion that would take months or years would have likely been 75,000 at least. Perhaps, one or two million Japanese would have been killed in a conventional invasion, which would have continued bombing and fire bombing. The Japanese resistance at Iwo Jima and other places made invasion a worse idea than using the bomb. Many Americans are still walking around because their fathers did not invade Japan. Some of the dads are still alive.
Fifty five years ago, I had a neighbor, WW2 Pacific combat vet, who was very seriously wounded and spent years in rehabilitation. Nonetheless, he bought a Datsun (now Nissan). Queried: “Why are you buying Japanese?”” He replied: “I believe they’re now reformed.”
Can the Muslim world be so transformed? Not likely, because they are too disparate.
The events of October 7, 2023, marked a significant escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, resulting in a large number of casualties. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States and the European Union, due to its use of violence against civilians and its stated aim to destroy Israel. The conflict that followed involved Israeli military responses aimed at targeting Hamas and its infrastructure, leading to further casualties and destruction in Gaza. This situation reflects the complex and deeply rooted issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Estimates were calculated at a million casualties to invade Japan. Since wounded usually run about 3 to 1 that means 250,000 dead and 750,000 wounded. I don’t believe this included wounded and dead Japanese. Although citizens TODAY whine and complain how bad we were then, this reduced wounded and dead to much less than an invasion. As my father and my father-in-law we both in the Pacific theater I am grateful they chose to do this! When ever some Japanese complain I always think of how many–allied and Japanese PEOPLE would have died before they surrendered.
For those educated after 1968, when I graduated from high school the Japanese military were teaching women and children to attack with spears, etc!
“October 7 of last year has been described as Israel’s 9/11…” That understates it. The US population is about 36.8 times that of Israel. Hamas killed about 1,200 people on 10/7. Hamas also took hostages, many of whom have died under their “care.” They have raped or otherwise abused hostages.
But to make it simple, 1,200 x 36.8 = 44,160. If Hamas had attacked the US on 10/7 and killed that many people, non-Muslims in the US would not be pushing for a cease fire. They would demand unconditional surrender and the end of Hamas.
Islam is certially and never was the Religion of Peace any anyone who claims it is needs to have their head examened