Obama Plans One of History's Great Crimes
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya...The dead bodies of two children lie
inside the morgue of Baqouba hospital, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 21,
2005. U.S. forces "mistakenly" fired on a civilian vehicle out-
side of an American military base north of Baghdad on Monday,
killing at least three people, including one child, a U.S. spokes-
man said. Five people returning from a relative's funeral, in-
cluding three children, were killed and two others wounded. All
in a day's work for the U.S. Army. Thousands have ben killed.
US history is ugly. It's disturbing. It's ruthless. It's deplorable. No nation ever matched it. None came close. Crimes of war, against humanity and genocide define it. Terror bombing is official US policy. Permanent wars cause mass killing and destruction. One nation after another is ravaged and destroyed.
The late Studs Terkel (1912 - 2008) once said America views things through the prism of war. "(T)wisted (logic) encourages (US officials) to be willing, almost eager, to use military force," he said. Wars aren't just, he stressed. They're "lunatic" acts. They reflect madness. They're horrific by any standard. They're unjustifiable.
Terror bombings are worst of all. During WW II, Dresden was mercilessly firebombed. It was defenseless. It was of no military importance. Hitler was defeated. War in Europe ended three months later. It didn't matter. Thousands of tons of incendiaries destroyed one of Europe's great cultural centers. Bodies of molten flesh explained what happened. Destroying Dresden was morally indefensible.
So was firebombing Tokyo. War neared ending. Roosevelt spurned Japanese overtures to do so. On February 24, 1945, one square mile of Tokyo was destroyed. On March 16, another 16 square miles were incinerated. Tens of thousands died. Many more were injured. Over a million were left homeless. Five dozen other Japanese cities were firebombed the same way. Truman atom-bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki gratuitously. Japan wanted peace. Unconditional surrender was agreed on. Japanese officiala only wanted their emperor retained. Roosevelt categorically refused. So did Truman. They wanted Soviet Russia sent a message. US generals wanted to experiment with their new toy. They wanted to do so in real time. Hundreds of thousands died needlessly. Lower numbers did initially. They rose in succeeding months and years. Radiation poisoning kills. It causes grievous illnesses, disfiguration, and birth defects.
They're felt today. Nuclear bombing Japan twice was gratuitous slaughter. It was one of history's great crimes. A prostrate nation deserved better. America wages wars without mercy. It's brutality is unmatched. Millions of corpses attest to its ruthlessness. Body counts mount daily.
