So the west attacks Syria in the end....

[CheeseSlice]

They are a bunch of fruitcakes who need sorted out.

Bomb the feckers I say.

Ah, the old "we've got lots of hammers every problem is nail" doctrine.

Once we're done blowing up Iraq and Syria, who else shall we bomb?
That ebola things getting a bit out of hand. Needs sorting out. Let's start by bombing Sierria Leone a little and see what happens.

[Churchill]

Ah, the old "we've got lots of hammers every problem is nail" doctrine.

Once we're done blowing up Iraq and Syria, who else shall we bomb?
That ebola things getting a bit out of hand. Needs sorting out. Let's start by bombing Sierria Leone a little and see what happens.

Erskine would be a better place to start.

[MyUserName]

To be fair invading mainland Japan to end the Pacific war would have been far from trivial as the Japanese had proven that fighting to the last man was standard operating procedure.
The casualties involved (when added up from both sides) and the time to eventual success could have been monumental, however we will never know the truth on that front.

This is true but I read that Stalin was also poised to continue his invasion across Europe and only stopped when he saw the nuclear weapons in action?

[Churchill]

This is true but I read that Stalin was also poised to continue his invasion across Europe and only stopped when he saw the nuclear weapons in action?

And then along came Nikita, he was a different flavour of mad bastard!

[minestrone]

Erskine would be a better place to start.

Just leave the bridge intact.

It would cause travel chaos.

[Batcher]

To be fair invading mainland Japan to end the Pacific war would have been far from trivial as the Japanese had proven that fighting to the last man was standard operating procedure.
The casualties involved (when added up from both sides) and the time to eventual success could have been monumental, however we will never know the truth on that front.

It's true about the japanese fighting to the death and were the first to use suicide bombers.

I have the feeling that the A-bombs were used because America wanted to see the results as well as shortening the war. It was a live test.

[GlenW]

It's true about the japanese fighting to the death and were the first to use suicide bombers.

I have the feeling that the A-bombs were used because America wanted to see the results as well as shortening the war. It was a live test.

And, the Soviet Union had moved three armies east and were getting ready to invade Japan from the north. The good ole US of A couldn't let those reds get in on the action.

[VectraMan]

It's true about the japanese fighting to the death and were the first to use suicide bombers.

I have the feeling that the A-bombs were used because America wanted to see the results as well as shortening the war. It was a live test.

The thing that's forgotten is that the Red Army had entered the war on Japan, something Stalin had promised once Germany had been dealt with. They managed to advance something like 100 miles in the first day - and that's what panicked the Japanese generals and led to their surrender. They were already losing against the US; they had no chance fighting Russia too.

Tokyo had been destroyed by fire bombs, and 100,000 people killed in one night a few months before Hiroshima. So the idea that it was the nuclear bomb that ended the war doesn't quite add up. It doesn't really matter whether your enemy has one big bomb, or lots of little bombs, the result is the same. And actually, one big bomb might be preferable as you only have to shoot down one plane to stop the attack.

[TykeMerc]

I have the feeling that the A-bombs were used because America wanted to see the results as well as shortening the war. It was a live test.

I think there's no doubt that was an element of it plus a sizeable lump of look at my big new scary toy waved at the Soviets.

Did the A bombs also serve to cut short a bloody mess - impossible to say for certain, but I think that there's certainly an element of truth to it.

[oscarose]

bury 'em alive in bacon