On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 13:07:33 -0600, Jughead wrote:

I haven't wasted even a second bothering to read any of the messages in
those threads, but I just have a couple of questions:

1. Who gives a **** whether or not it was truly justified? What person
living today can say they really had jack **** to do with an executive
decision made nearly 60 years ago?

2. What on earth does a controversial decision made all those years ago
have to do with the present and the future? Seriously...how will truly
knowing whether or not Truman's war-time decisions were justified impact
the lives of individuals living today -- a large number of whom weren't
even alive yet? Heck, my parents weren't even born yet, let alone myself.

When all is said and done, many countries' governments have probably
learned from the experience many years passed to be able to decide on their
own when the use of nukes is and isn't justified. As myself and my
counterparts like to say, "it's above my pay grade". I'm glad I'll never be
the one to have to decide whether or not to attack any other country or
organization with nukes.


There must be a reason why you choose "Jughead" for your nom de plume.
Maybe you've illustrated it.

Have you read or heard, in any of its convoluted forms, the suggestion
by the philosopher (not the guitarist) Santyana, that "those who will
not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them"?

If we did not learn what it takes to win a war against a ruthless
enemy and we will confuse morality with indecision, then, we will
revisit the scenario and maybe this time the outcome will be total
loss rather than unconditional surrender.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8