Letters to the Editor for Sept. 7

Japan was a beaten enemy even before the bombs dropped

This is in reply to Percy Angle’s Aug. 26 letter, in which he defended President Truman’s decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945. I do not agree with the popular belief — then and now — that dropping the bombs saved many American lives by making an invasion of Japan unnecessary. I believe the war would have ended in a matter of months without an invasion, and indeed, without any further offensive action on our part.

By the summer of 1945, our Navy — mainly the submarines — had practically eliminated all Japanese Navy and merchant shipping. Our naval shore bombardments, Air Force bombing raids, knowledge of the Japanese secret codes, and the losses Japan had already suffered had eliminated any significant offensive threat from Japan. While they may have had the will to put up a strong defense, they had practically no resources with which to do so. Their cities, industrial facilities and transportation infrastructure were in ruins. They were out of essential raw materials and unable to get more.

Shortly after the atomic bombs were dropped, my ship — the submarine rescue vessel USS Greenlet — joined the great “invasion fleet” and sailed for Japan. We were present at the surrender in Tokyo Bay. Immediately thereafter we were ordered to locate all existing Japanese submarines and support ships and facilities — and to assure that they did not present any threat to our forces. We spent the next two months visiting every known or suspected vessel and facility. We covered the area from Tokyo Bay through the Inland Sea and down to the important naval base at Sasebo on the island of Kyushu. We found very few seaworthy vessels of any kind. All were deserted and unarmed. Every shore facility was in complete ruins. During this period we went ashore on many occasions and moved about freely.

Everywhere we went, the people were frightened, demoralized, disorganized, destitute, suffering. Millions were homeless and on the verge of starvation. They were absolutely beaten.

I find it hard to believe our government officials were unaware of this situation before the bombs were dropped. I cannot believe the Japanese were capable of any significant military defense, and I believe that if we had simply stopped all offensive actions they would have given up in a matter of months.

What a different world it would have been these past 63 years if we had not dropped those bombs!

Joe Markey

Niskayuna

Please keep the Palins’ family issues out of it

You stepped way over the line in your Sept. 3 editorial about the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate.

The Gazette apparently believes that a woman’s place is in the home — but not the statehouse, and definitely nowhere near the White House — if she happens to have kids who need her attention. Well, guess what? All kids need attention, and plenty of mothers manage to have families and a successful career at the same time.

How dare you presume to know better than Sarah and Todd Palin about the timing of her return to work after the birth of their son? As long as the baby is loved and cared for, the length of her maternity leave is nobody else’s business but the Palins’. It’s equally outrageous for you to suggest that Sarah Palin’s demanding career caused her to be a “hands-off” mom, to the detriment of her oldest daughter. No parent can hover over a teenager 24 hours a day. Even Wally and the Beav managed to get into scrapes while June Cleaver was busy dusting in her chiffon dress, high heels and string of pearls!

There’s a legitimate question whether Gov. Palin’s career experience qualifies her for the office of vice president, and I have no problem if anyone wants to argue that point. However, her status as a working mother facing difficult family issues should have no part in that debate.

Kristine Smith

Duanesburg

Russian invasion recalls Hitler and Czechs

In 1938, the Sudetenland was a part of Czechoslovakia, with a large population of ethnic Germans. The Nazis, together with their Sudeten German allies, charged that these Germans were being “oppressed” by the Czech government and demanded incorporation of the region into Nazi Germany. Using that as an excuse, the Sudetenland was occupied by Hitler between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10, 1938.

Fast-forward to August 2008: The provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia were a part of Georgia with a large population of people holding Russian passports. The Russian government’s de facto dicta-thug, Vladimir Putin, demands independence for these regions in order to escape Georgian “oppression.” Using that as the excuse to do so, South Ossetia and Abkhazia were occupied by Russia.

The reality of the situation is that Georgia, a good friend of the West and especially the United States, was about to be offered membership in NATO and Russia did not want this to happen. Also, a major oil pipeline carrying Caspian region natural gas passes through Georgia, and Russia wants to control it.

The United Nations is incapable of dealing with the situation and stands on the sidelines wringing its hands while portions of a member nation are gobbled up by another member nation. Western Europe is also unwilling to deal with the situation because they are 99 percent dependent on Russian oil and natural gas supplies for their very existence. In 1938 this type of aggression touched off World War II, and perhaps 40 million people died before we had peace in our time. Are we seeing the beginning of World War III, or perhaps Cold War II? I guarantee we will not have “peace in our time.”

Finally, a reminder: “Those who forget the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them.” — George Santayana

Victor Fraenckel

Schenectady

Convention protesters more like terrorists

So far, protesters outside the Republican National Convention have done the following: dropped sand and concrete bags on a bus heading to the convention (luckily nobody was hurt); surrounded and attacked a bus full of Boy Scouts going to learn about the process of government; thrown bleach on delegates entering the convention; and smashed windows and destroyed public property during a “protest” march.

This type of behavior goes beyond voicing your grievance, or even legitimate civil disobedience. This is borderline terrorism. While the media does tend to skew liberal, not covering these events helps neither side. Violence and lawlessness against Republicans today could easily be used as a precedent tomorrow to justify violence and lawlessness against Democrats, Libertarians, Greens or any other political group.

In America we follow the rule of law, not the threats of the mob. The fact that the Internet has [generally] been the only place you could see pictures and video of these events just shows how far our media has fallen.

David Welch

Scotia

Ignore pollsters, media; listen to the candidates

It seems to me with this election and every election that the media and pollsters try to tell us how to vote; and the only ones we really need to listen to are the ones who are running for the office.

Polls are based on 1,200 to 1,500 people, more or less; more if done online, depending who has a computer and who decides to participate. It makes for a very long election year when things get started a whole year or longer before the actual election.

It is time for the voter not to get turned off by the process, but not to listen to all the media hype and polls. The debates will give you a better insight into the person(s) running for the office, whether it be national, state or local.

I have voted since I turned 21, and that was 45 years ago. I might not like all the “hype,” but I still keep voting.

Mary Jane Weidman

Schoharie