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Viewers are divided over whether the film should have shown Japanese victims of the weapon created by physicist Robert Oppenheimer. Experts say it's complicated.

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[-] infamousbelgian@waste-of.space 82 points 1 year ago

The story is not about bombing Japan.

Yes, that was a war crime. Yes, that was terrible.

But if you know the story of Oppenheimer, or seen the movie, he did not decide anything. The military took over at that moment in time.

So if it was a movie about the military, this had to be shown. But it is about him. So a suggestion (as is clearly in the movie for about the last hour or so) is more than enough of you ask me.

[-] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago

He decided to make the bomb. He knew what bombs are used for.

[-] infamousbelgian@waste-of.space 23 points 1 year ago

Agreed, but that is not what the movie is about.

He did say (no one knows what he believed) that just having the bomb would mean world peace…

[-] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago

Then he was a fool who's actions contributed to the murder of hundreds of thousands.

[-] kayjay@kbin.social 15 points 1 year ago

His reasoning was if the US didn’t make it, the Nazis would, and that would be even worse. He never wanted to make the bomb, it was just the lesser of two evils.

[-] RatherBeMTB@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Making the bomb was a good decision, dropping two over civilians after the war finished was genocide.

[-] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 6 points 1 year ago

But the war wasn't finished.

The US was never trying to exterminate the Japanese race and culture, so no it wasn't genocide. It was a fucked up act of war, maybe you could even call it an atrocity, but calling it a genocide is wrong by definition.

[-] infamousbelgian@waste-of.space 8 points 1 year ago

And exactly that is the struggle he had. He even informed the president (who told him to fuck off in a polite way)

[-] Nythos@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Used on a nation who’s army’s actions led to the murder of millions

[-] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

You can't use a weapon on a nation, you can only use a weapon on a nation's population.

[-] TheBurlapBandit@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

Look up projected casualties for Operation Downfall

[-] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Look up most of the contemporary US pacific command saying the bombings were unnecessary. I know Asian people are just ants to people like you but Jesus, the pathetic rationalizations.

[-] TheBurlapBandit@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Ants is a pretty apt comparison to Japanese culture at the time. All expected to become soldiers and die for the hive. Seriously, shit was crazy. They were not going to surrender otherwise.

Firebombings were daily killing more than the bombs did as well.

[-] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Ants is a pretty apt comparison to Japanese culture at the time.

Okay, thank you for proving my point and admitting you're a virulent racist so publicly.

[-] TheBurlapBandit@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I mean... That's what the culture was at the time. No need to name call over it. It is well documented and any attempt to obfuscate it is revisionism.

Our discussion is prompting me to look more into the history here, though. Your comment on modern generals' statements is intriguing. That lead me to learn about Soviet entry into the war, defeating Japan in Manchuria, which may have promoted talk of surrender among Japanese leadership.

I'll certainly keep researching and I'm open to changing my view. Feel free to present me with some material to consider rather than calling me racist.

[-] runblack@reddthat.com 13 points 1 year ago

You're totally right and the discussion (as so many these days) is completely bollocks.

Since when should the public have the right to demand what an artist ought to put in his work or must not omit. I don't get it...

[-] RatherBeMTB@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Americans in general hate to acknowledge the war crimes they commit. I think it was more about a business decision than anything else.

[-] Burnt@lemmy.one 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Show me a culture that likes to recognize the war crimes they commited as war crimes.

The Japanese seem to do way more of sweeping their dirty laundry under the rug from WWII under the rug than Americans.

And no, that's not trying to excuse Americans of acknowledging their own war crimes. Every culture should own their past and do their best to learn from their mistakes.

[-] Waldhuette@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Germany/Germans have absolutely no issue with recognizing our war crimes. I doubt anyone comes as close in terms to acknowledging their dark history.

this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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