This is one of the Washington Post's "40 more maps that explain the world." For now, I'll just leave it here for possible future reference.
"This map shows each Japanese city that was bombed during World War II, an American city of equivalent size, and the percentage of the city estimated destroyed by the bombings. All Americans learn about the two atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan at the end of the war, and we're starting to become more aware of the firebombing campaigns that wiped out much of Germany, including civilians. But we are nowhere near confronting the U.S. firebombing of Japan, which killed several times as many people as the atomic bombs and devastated Japan's wooden-constructed cities. By the time the war ended, 30 percent of the residents in Japan's largest 60 cities were homeless."
The city comparisons are an interesting point of reference. The firebombing have never been a secret and got mentioned in school (when I was there at least) but somehow they don't get the press or internet rage of two atomic bombs. I myself don't see why it's any worse to obliterate a hundred thousand people with an atomic bomb as opposed to bullets, conventional explosives, and fire bombs they are all horrors.
ReplyDeleteNOW report about the slaughter that Japan did to China, Korea and every other country they invaded and did whole sale slaughter. Ye sow what you reap.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it was Japanese soldiers, with guns, who did the slaughtering in countries they invaded, but mainly civilians, without guns, who were burned alive by the firebombing of Japan. There is a difference between the two. Those who did the sowing weren't those who did the reaping. Once upon a time, when armies fought a battle on an open field, it was only the soldiers who did the dying. Killing civilians then, as now in places like the Twin Towers and Syria and Mali, was an act of cowardice.
DeleteWar is ugly. They started it, we finished it.
ReplyDelete