Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack

No, it was not "sleaziness".
> The Japanese government fully intended to stop the peace negotiations > before the attack occured, but the diplomatic staff at the Japanese > emabssy was too slow decoding the message sent from Japan.

Geez, so the break off diplomatic relations five minutes before the attack? Somehow that makes it ok? No, I don't think so.

And it's a diplomat's job to do whatever his government tells him to, > regardless of whether or not he knows its intentions in advance.

The point is the Japanese government was lying. Note that its attack fleet had to leave Japan a week before (it's a big ocean to cross) under radio silence.

I suppose we could buy their argument that the Bataan death march was due to a shortage of transport. I don't. I suppose we could believe that the 1930s bombing and rapes of civilians in China was normal warfare. I don't.

The Empire of Japan had a run up a long record of atrocities by 1945. It does not make sense to suggest to give them the benefit of doubt regarding their cease fire proposals.

It should also be noted that the Japanese military command had a very selective view of "honor". They had no problem teaching their troops to never surrender and to die for the emperor. But when it came to saving their own necks, it was another story. They refused any serious attempt at surrender because they knew of their guilt in war trials.