War is hell. Unoffending civilians are killed. Irreplaceable treasures are destroyed. That is the nature of war. That is why we try avoid it if possible. But unless you are the aggressor, you don’t go back afterwards and apologize for defending yourself and your allies when attacked.
Our Apologizer-in-Chief is sending an abassador to the annual ceremony memorializing the bombing of Hiroshima this Friday. AP tells us:
Tokyo has praised the decision to send U.S. Ambassador John Roos to the Hiroshima anniversary on Friday, though some survivors of the attack, which is seen by many in Japan as an unjustified use of excessive force against a civilian population, say they have mixed feelings.Whatever is Obama doing this for?
Sending American officials to Hiroshima is a potent gesture. Maybe someday, in some situation, it might even be appropriate. But to do so randomly, in no special context, is wasteful and morally reprehensible. It can and will only be received as a gesture of apology — perhaps weak, perhaps hypocritical, but apologetic nonetheless.
Morally speaking, bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was absolutely the right thing to do. Victory was achieved instantly. Countless thousands of American lives were saved. That is the proper goal of a military operation in wartime. Period.
One might, mistakenly, believe that there is some element in attending the Hiroshima ceremony of sympathy or respect for either the nation of Japan or its people. Not so.
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