Ted Rall for March 30, 2022

False equivalence.

Once again Mr. Rall is pointing out how evil the U.S. is; so, in his opinion, everyone should just let Russia do its thing. He even said “Stay out of it,” which is what Putin likes to hear.

Teddy, Teddy, Teddy… you are so wrong on this. I’m sure you have studied enough history to know that the parallel is between Japan, who attacked the US first (you know, Pearl Harbor) and Putin’s Russia who attacked Ukraine. THERE IS NO EQUIVALNCE between Nagasaki/Hiroshima and Russia’s threatened use of nukes.

I have been to the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima. It is incredibly moving and sad. I have done an extensive reading on the topic, most recently, “140 Days to Hiroshima” (Barrett), which detailed the internal debate in the Japanese gov’t between those who wished to continue the war and those who were seeking favorable terms of surrender. These two days were horrific, awful days in a horrific, awful war. I’ve always thought the the Nagasaki bomb was too soon, not allowing the Japanese a better chance to consider surrender. Unless other pertinent information comes forth, I think at least Hiroshima was regrettably necessary.

The bombs WERE dropped, Japan DID surrender. How DOES WWII in the Pacific end minus these events? Would it be in a way in which FEWER Japanese died? Would continued fire bombing, continued blockade (and the resulting starvation), an Allied invasion (which would have included the USSR) have SAVED lives? Did the use of these horrible things allow the Japanese the opportunity to “save face” and surrender in a way that allowed a (relatively) peaceful post-war period between the US/Japan?

This toon is simplistic in thought and pure stupidity in reality Mr. Rall. The times and wars were different, one has nothing to do with the other.

Japan was not a victim of the war in Asia. From 1937 to 1945 they invaded their neighboring countries and slaughtered over 20 million people. The civilian population of Japan fully supported their military’s conquest and domination of the “lesser” nations of Asia, they were by no means ‘innocent’.

US combat casualties for the war in the Pacific were 111,606 killed or missing, and 253,142 wounded. Ted thinks this number was way too low, I guess.

Where’s my commission?

When America bombs stuff it’s with good intentions and mostly kills heathens.

Even Jimmy Carter said dropping the bombs on Japan was necessary to save lives on both sides.

Maybe Japan should have thought twice before attacking Pearl Harbor.

Actually, it’s much worse. The rulers in DC talk about using nukes all the time, NOW, in a world with thousands of nukes ready to fire at a moment’s notice. “Nothing is off the table” is not just a negotiating phrase.

Another cartoonic episode in Mr. Rall’s inexplicable campaign to convince us that Putin’s attack on a country which is disinclined to revert to SSR status is merely politics as usual and need not disturb us.

What this tells me is that war almost inevitably leads to atrocities. There must be a better way to resolve disputes. Nuclear weapons remain one of the greatest threats we face. If they are not somehow controlled, it’s hard to believe they won’t be used at some point—a year from now, a year from now, ten years, fifty, a hundred—I’m not predicting when or by whom, just that it’s hard to believe it won’t happen.

Still in the porcelain, Ted.

Ted, I usually support your points but your wide left on this one. The Japanese were going to fight to the last child. We burned down Tokyo and they didn’t blink; it took the threat of obliterated their society to get those fanatics on the Deck of the Missouri. America is capable of unthinkable violence the rest of the World hasn’t forgotten, we shouldn’t either. I’m not a religious man but I pray Biden makes the right choices when the time comes. Where’s Harry Truman when we need him again?

Dang, I was really hoping for Ted’s take on the Oscars slap.

Most of the world looks back on Hiroshima & Nagasaki in horror. Modern nukes make those bombs look like firecrackers. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that discounting Putin’s nuclear threats is a bad idea. Pretending there aren’t nutjobs out there suggesting it’s ok if Russia uses “tactical” nukes to avoid humiliation in Ukraine is a bad idea, too.

If we’re going to talk about events that happened long before any of us were born, Russia was doing Imperialist genocides back when English speakers in America were subjects of the British Empire.

There’s reasons why democratic nations under threat of Russian & Chinese domination look to the US for protection. It’s the same reason people from nations run by thugs like Putin vote with their feet & emigrate to the US & Western Europe. There is no moral equivalency here.

Using our nukes to slaughter an enemy who was already looking for an appropriate chance to surrender … offered only one lesson to the brass hats of the global military. Boy, don’t you wish you had some of these?

Yes, we did. It was wrong and unnecessary. But that use has taught us all how bad it is—and it could be so much worse with the weapons we have now.

I used to rationalize by saying the United States atoned for that use by being the leader of the free world—including deterring the use of nuclear weapons. Not so sure we’re that anymore, and I know a lot of individual Americans most certainly are not.

Say what you will about Ted Rall’s cartoon today, at least he didn’t post a cartoon showing another image of an Oscar Trophy with a bag over its head .