Shrugging-Off the Atomic Bomb

Sixty-two years later and the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki claim another victim, the political career of Japan's defense minister Fumio Kyuma. Kyuma resigned due to the uproar over his comment that the bombings were “shou ga nai” (described by linguists as a “verbal shrug” implying “it’s not good, but what can you do?”).

Well sure, it's not good. The whole war was not good (contrary to what Studs Terkel might tell you). And sixty years later, what can you do? Continue to pick up the pieces and try to see that it doesn't happen again...doesn't need to happen again.

The issue here is that survivor groups feel that Kyuma's comments justified U.S. actions. Whether the bombings were justified is a post for another time perhaps. Personally, I'm happy that such a debate continues and that the bombings remain so pivotal and feared in world culture. The more mythic that status we give to nukes, the less likely we all will be to use them.

Trip to Washington D.C.

After a short family vacation to Washington D.C. it is time for that dreaded form of entertainment, the vacation slide-show!

I'll be nice and limit the photos to WWII-themed places I got shots of:


First comes the new WWII memorial on the Mall. My wife still thinks that it breaks-up the sight-line between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, but I feel it is a good addition.

While I had seen plenty of shots of the memorial, I had never noticed how it was designed to be handicapped and disabled friendly. Notice the gently curving ramps from the fountain level to the pavilions for each of the Theaters.

After visiting the Mall, we went out to the new Air & Space Museum Annex near Dulles Airport.
The star of this show, or at least the WWII section, is clearly the Enola Gay, the most well known delivery system for a WMD in the world. It was amazing to me how large and yet how small this bomber was in her shining aluminum.

And here's a little rarity, a Japanese balloon-bomb. It's the answer to the trivia question "What was the last military attack on the US mainland?" (I'm not counting 9/11 as military here).

And, the best thing about the Air & Space Annex? Room to grow. They're adding stuff all the time. That's my toddler daughter down at the end of the hanger in the space reserved for more flying wonders.