The US military INTENTIONALLY KILLS innocent people??? Where?? When???

by Stan Conroy 84 Replies latest social current

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  Stan Conroy

  This question was posed by Yeru in another post. I have no interest in getting involved in that post, but this is an interesting question. Supporters of the US feel that there country alone is on the moral high ground, and incapable of such an act.

  I beg to differ.

  So I put this question to the arm-chair historians out there. When did the US intentionally kill innocent people, and when?

  Hamas mentioned Hiroshima, and Nagasaki in August 1945.

  I'll add this copy and paste:

  The first "fire bomb" raid was on Kobe on February 3 and following relative success the AAF continued the tactic. Much of the armor and the defensive weapons of the bombers were also removed to allowed increased bomb loads, Japanese air defence in terms of night-fighters and anti-aircraft guns was so feeble it was hardly a risk. The first such raid on Tokyo was on the night of February 23-24 when 174 B-29s destroyed around one square mile of the city. Following on that success 334 B-29s raided on the night of March 9-10, dropping around 1,700 tons of bombs around 16 square miles of the city were destroyed and over 100,000 people are estimated to have died in the "fire storm". It was the most destructive conventional raid of the war against Japan. In the following two weeks there were almost 1,600 further sorties against the four cities, destroying 31 square miles in total at a cost of only 22 aircraft. There was a third raid on Tokyo on May 26.

  The fire bomb raids were not the only raids on Tokyo, there were more regular raids using conventional high explosives. With the capture of Okinawa the Eighth Air Force was to be transferred there. Monthly tonnage dropped on Japan had increased from 13,800 tons in March to 42,700 tons in July, and was planned to have continued to increase to around 115,000 tons per month.

  http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II/Tokyo

  100,000 people killed! That sounds pretty intentional to me.

  Stan
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  Simon

  I think several countries have intentionally targetted civilians, the UK and Germany both did this during WWII

  There is a difference of course between "collateral damage" where civilians may be injured or killed during an attack on a military target and an attack on a non-military, civilian target as part of "total warfare"

  I don't think Hiroshima or Nagasaki were military targets so these were IMHO deliberate targetting of civilians. I think it also makes it one of the worse case of terrorism in recent history.

  You could also argue that indescriminate carpet bombing of populated areas is targetting civilians

  The counter claim will probably be either they are not innocent (because they are on the other side) or they did something to us first (as if it excuses it)

  http://www.krysstal.com/democracy_whyusa06.html
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  Uzzah

  Trouble with pointing out others errors (especially 60 year old errors) is that it opens you up to the same scrutiny.

  You might want to do some research into Canada's role in developing some of these very weapons you seem to be condemning the US for using.

  All countries are guilty of committing or contributing towards atrocities against innocents. Throughout the ages this has proven true and each time it was justified as self defense, proactive measures to prevent (invasion, attack, etc) or the person was a threat to the accepted religion or individual ruler of the country.

  2003 is no different except voices of dissent now have an international forum to be heard, but unfortunately history often records the propaganda of the victor and not the voice of dissent or propaganda of the loser.

  Embarrased by some of the past actions of Canadians but am honest enough to admit them
• 

  Simon

  I'm not exactly sure of the dates but ...

  Was the US formed when the genocide of the Native American indians was being carried out?

  Uzzah is right ... all countries have done this. The UK did it in WWII and did it in earlier conflicts in it's history too. Why try to deny it?
• 

  Uzzah

  Simon:

  You mean by the British, French and Spanish invaders...ummm explorers?

  Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario & Quebec now) were 'created' around the same time and in much the same manner.

  What's your point?

  Uzzah
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  Hamas
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  Utopian Reformist

  Thanks to the declassification of secret documents, eyewitness accounts, authors and modern investigative journalism, we have now learned the following:
  
  1. The USS Maine was NOT sabotaged, but rather an explosion in the steam/engine room caused the munitions in the next room to explode. Ships are not designed this way any longer.
  
  Irregardless, the incident was used to feign injury and wage war with Spain to gain Cuba, Puerto Rico, Phillipines and Guam. The US gained economically and politically while eliminating any european presence in this hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine prevailed.
  
  2. We know that in WW1 the german submarines had warned the allies that civilian ships would not be torpedoed UNLESS they possessed weaponry. We now know that british naval secretary Winston Churchill ordered the guns and cannons exposed on the cruise liner Lusitania to provoke german submarines. The Lusitania carried over 100 american passengers, and thus after sinking was the excuse for the US joining the war in 1917 to support the british.
  
  3. We now know that FDR & his cabinet were well aware of Japan's pending attack upon Pearl Harbour and chose to ignore that information. The 2500 dead sailors & marines were the perfect catalyst for joining the war. And the defense industry machine began it's reign.
  
  There is no point in rambling on about Vietnam. September 11 was the excuse for getting revenge for Bush Senior, acquiring contracts for Halliburton, jumpstarting the dormant defense industry, pleasing Israel and making the cabals more rich and powerful. Meanwhile our relative and friends die every day far away from home.
  
  Treachery, deceipt, machinations, schemes, plots, are just parr for the course in American and all international politics. It is up to the common man, the individual citizen to stand up like the french during their revolution, like the minutemen of 1776.
  
  When the "Macchiavellians" work their plans, we must expose them and challenge them for the sake of the future.
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  teenyuck

  What is the point to threads like this?

  More bash the USA?

  We have all agreed that Americans suck; no you like us though. You hate our military, our leaders and our politics. But you will use the military and leaders and politics when your country is in an emergency...

  We all agree you hate our capitalism; no you like us though. You hate McDonalds, Starbucks and KFC. But you will eat at McDonalds, drink Starbucks and eat KFC...

  We all agree you hate our entertainment; no you like us though. You hate The Backstreet Boys, Michael Jackson and anything out of Hollywood. Yet you will drool over Brittany Spears and pay to see Hollywood movies...

  You love us; but you hate us.

  You don't hate us. You like us.

  You just want us to admit we suck. We admit it and you bash us some more.

  Makes one wonder why...
• 

  nilfun

  Powerful imagery, Hamas.
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  Simon

  Teenyuck: The recent international poll / programme showed quite clearly that most of the world likes Americans and likes what America gives the world (hollywood, music etc...)

  The only thing we don't like is some of the things that the government has done.

  I don't see why people have a problem with this. Only a fool supposes that their country / government is without any fault. I certainly dont think the UK has never done any wrong.

  Admitting it does not lessen my self esteem or pride in the things that my country has done well.