Comments on: War Crimes, Past and Present http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/ Just another geek in the geek kingdom Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:11:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Eunomia » The Argument From War Crimes Returns http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-10591 Eunomia » The Argument From War Crimes Returns Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:11:05 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-10591 [...] Others have already covered this fairly well, but I suppose I should say something about Michael Goldfarb’s preoccupation with defending past war crimes. Julian Sanchez makes the important point regarding the nuclear strikes on Japan: To the extent it’s a controversial claim, it’s controversial because we don’t like calling U.S. presidents war criminals, not because it’s a difficult question whether obliterating entire areas inhabited by large civilian populations with the flimsiest of military targets as a pretext should now be regarded as a war crime. [...] [...] Others have already covered this fairly well, but I suppose I should say something about Michael Goldfarb’s preoccupation with defending past war crimes. Julian Sanchez makes the important point regarding the nuclear strikes on Japan: To the extent it’s a controversial claim, it’s controversial because we don’t like calling U.S. presidents war criminals, not because it’s a difficult question whether obliterating entire areas inhabited by large civilian populations with the flimsiest of military targets as a pretext should now be regarded as a war crime. [...]

]]> By: The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room » MIDDAY ROUNDUP http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-8105 The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room » MIDDAY ROUNDUP Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:26:05 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-8105 [...] politics in Vienna - Jamie Fly, Weekly Standard A Bush executive order on torture? - emptywheel War crimes, past and present - Julian Sanchez Anti-equality coalition crumbling - kos, Daily Kos Flubbing Churchill - Ed [...] [...] politics in Vienna – Jamie Fly, Weekly Standard A Bush executive order on torture? – emptywheel War crimes, past and present – Julian Sanchez Anti-equality coalition crumbling – kos, Daily Kos Flubbing Churchill – Ed [...]

]]> By: Repository of Arcane Knowledge - Weblog · Mushroom Clouds and Moral Mediocrity http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7706 Repository of Arcane Knowledge - Weblog · Mushroom Clouds and Moral Mediocrity Sat, 23 May 2009 16:39:06 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7706 [...] it to a comedian to state plainly that Truman’s use of atomic weapons was a war crime, only to backpedal out of political expediency faster than you can say Arlen Specter. This [...] [...] it to a comedian to state plainly that Truman’s use of atomic weapons was a war crime, only to backpedal out of political expediency faster than you can say Arlen Specter. This [...]

]]> By: MQ http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7563 MQ Mon, 11 May 2009 04:14:52 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7563 It is not so easy to separate modern war from war crimes. The U.S. wars in Iraq, and before that Vietnam, certainly involved many war crimes, one doesn't have to go back to WWII. Hiroshima and Nagasaki only stand out because they are so far the only use of nuclear weapons against other human beings. It is not so easy to separate modern war from war crimes. The U.S. wars in Iraq, and before that Vietnam, certainly involved many war crimes, one doesn’t have to go back to WWII. Hiroshima and Nagasaki only stand out because they are so far the only use of nuclear weapons against other human beings.

]]> By: Derick Schilling http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7458 Derick Schilling Tue, 05 May 2009 19:18:23 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7458 Szilard did not use the phrase "war crime" in his famous July 1945 petition, nor in the cover letter he circulated with the petition. See texts at: http://www.dannen.com/decision/index.html Szilard did not use the phrase “war crime” in his famous July 1945 petition, nor in the cover letter he circulated with the petition. See texts at:

http://www.dannen.com/decision/index.html

]]> By: Harry Eagar http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7457 Harry Eagar Tue, 05 May 2009 18:48:20 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7457 Well, Szilard wrote the letter Einstein sent to FDR to get the bomb project rolling. Everybody knows that, right? Oh, well, based on this thread, probably not. Well, Szilard wrote the letter Einstein sent to FDR to get the bomb project rolling. Everybody knows that, right?

Oh, well, based on this thread, probably not.

]]> By: Julian Sanchez http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7454 Julian Sanchez Tue, 05 May 2009 16:27:31 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7454 Greg Koster's right; it was Leo Szilard, not Einstein, who used the phrase. Greg Koster’s right; it was Leo Szilard, not Einstein, who used the phrase.

]]> By: Derick Schilling http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7439 Derick Schilling Mon, 04 May 2009 21:06:18 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7439 Per this link, Einstein sent FDR four letters, three of them in 1940, when it was uncertain whether a practical bomb could be made, and a fourth in 1945, intended to gain Leo Szilard a hearing from FDR: http://hypertextbook.com/eworld/einstein.shtml None of them mention war crimes. As the text of the fourth letter makes clear, Einstein was not privy to the secrets of the Manhattan Project. I endorse the previous recommendations of the Richard Frank book, DOWNFALL. By reading the Tokyo-Moscow Japanese diplomatic messages in the summer of 1945, the Truman administration learned that the Japanese were seeking Soviet mediation of the Pacific War, but were unable to agree on terms for negotiation. This is far removed from a willingness to surrender. Per this link, Einstein sent FDR four letters, three of them in 1940, when it was uncertain whether a practical bomb could be made, and a fourth in 1945, intended to gain Leo Szilard a hearing from FDR:

http://hypertextbook.com/eworld/einstein.shtml

None of them mention war crimes. As the text of the fourth letter makes clear, Einstein was not privy to the secrets of the Manhattan Project.

I endorse the previous recommendations of the Richard Frank book, DOWNFALL. By reading the Tokyo-Moscow Japanese diplomatic messages in the summer of 1945, the Truman administration learned that the Japanese were seeking Soviet mediation of the Pacific War, but were unable to agree on terms for negotiation. This is far removed from a willingness to surrender.

]]> By: Gregory Koster http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7429 Gregory Koster Mon, 04 May 2009 07:06:17 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7429 Dear Mr. Sanchez: You write in your post: "...Albert Einstein claimed before the fact (in a letter to Roosevelt) that the use of an atomic bomb would be a war crime..." The only letter I know of that Einstein wrote to Roosevelt can be found <a href="http://www.mphpa.org/classic/COLLECTIONS/MP-Einstein~Sachs/Pages/Ein-Sachs_Gallery_01.htm" rel="nofollow"> here </a> The phrase "war crime" is not in this letter, dated 2 August 1939, but not seen by Roosevelt until November 1939. Nor is there any discussion of the ethics of using such a weapon. It is a precis of atomic research at the time, and a recommendation that the US Government get going with same. If you have another letter in in mind, please cite it. If you can. If you can't, enjoy the sloppy Sullivan kiss, with its attendant page views. Sincerely yours, Gregory Koster Dear Mr. Sanchez: You write in your post:

“…Albert Einstein claimed before the fact (in a letter to Roosevelt) that the use of an atomic bomb would be a war crime…”

The only letter I know of that Einstein wrote to Roosevelt can be found here

The phrase “war crime” is not in this letter, dated 2 August 1939, but not seen by Roosevelt until November 1939. Nor is there any discussion of the ethics of using such a weapon. It is a precis of atomic research at the time, and a recommendation that the US Government get going with same. If you have another letter in in mind, please cite it. If you can. If you can’t, enjoy the sloppy Sullivan kiss, with its attendant page views.

Sincerely yours,
Gregory Koster

]]> By: A Good Idea at the Time « Just Above Sunset http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/04/30/war-crimes-past-and-present/comment-page-1/#comment-7428 A Good Idea at the Time « Just Above Sunset Mon, 04 May 2009 06:13:22 +0000 http://www.juliansanchez.com/?p=3129#comment-7428 [...] Sanchez here argues that listening to such changing of the context can drive you [...] [...] Sanchez here argues that listening to such changing of the context can drive you [...]

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