Introduction
The article by Dr. Sheils titled “Why We Bomb” focuses on the issue of civilian casualties as the most recurring during the onset of the 20th century. The paper argues that the US government, supported by its citizens, planned to murder thousands of foreign civilians and execute goals using carefully designed weapons. It discusses civilian losses during bombing raids in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to emphasize the human cost of war. The article claims that the American government shared a national vision of using weapons of mass destruction to protect its soldiers, dehumanizing the enemies, and promoting its political stance.
American Speculative Motives
American governments, as perpetrators, believe bombing civilians in military engagements is a justified decision. For them, Germany and Japan initiated aggressive wars in Europe, which already created a complete image of the holistic nation. Moreover, they saw civilians as people “keeping the war machine’s more active participants healthier, cleaner, safer” (Sheils, 2024, para. 12).
However, Dr. Sheils (2024) acknowledges the innocence of civilians living under the unelected Japanese government or the unsupported German government. More importantly, residents were forced to work in government offices, factories, and hospitals to maintain their living, and their self-preservation efforts were seen as fueling a war machine. This reasoning of the American government simplifies the decision behind employing thousands of bomber crew members and destroying whole settlements.
Opponents may contend that military necessity justifies the intentional targeting of civilian populations during hostilities. They would claim that, to win wars like World War II, strategic bombing operations aimed at destroying enemy morale and infrastructure were essential. They may also contend that the use of bombs weakened the enemy’s capacity to wage war and accelerated the end of hostilities, thereby saving lives.
Immorality Behind Bombing
The author’s purpose is to demonstrate the immorality of the reasons for bombing. In his opinion, the war culture targeting shrinking the wars generates more terror weapons, and mass bombs are the most spectacular in paralyzing all life at one moment and imposing will by terrorizing the whole population. For example, American bombing raids on Tokyo after Nagasaki in 1945 catalyzed the surrender (Shiels 2024). There is even speculation that more noisy and accurate bombs, used in Iraq in 1991 and 2003, generated faster surrender.
Other arguments in favor of bombs are to spare American combatants from death by injuring the opposite side and to have a short war with fewer losses than a protracted conflict. However, these two goals are dubious since predicting which scenario of ground fighting or bombs generates fewer losses is impossible. Nevertheless, military men are hurt during the wars, but bombs target civilians, who are less protected and more vulnerable.
Reasons behind the deliberate targeting of civilian populations in warfare extend to more political and ethical dilemmas. For example, all centers hit by concentrated, intense force are perceived as institutions for future war-makers, raising questions about predictability. Moreover, bombing rides attracted international attention, allowing the US to show its power to rival powers such as the Soviet Union by destroying innocent lives (Shiels 2024). An intriguing assumption relates to racism and xenophobia exhibited toward Japan as a never-colonized nation, increasing American desire to justify its superiority. All these political motives dehumanize the other side, forcing individuals to neglect the ethics of their right to live.
Conclusion
To conclude, the US has a prolonged history of bombing civilians, which was justified by its national humanitarian objectives. The country vindicates its terror by choosing between saving as many American lives as possible and harming others. The preference for bombs is based on their immediate deaths and the city ruins they cause once they are thrown. However, all cases finished with collateral damage, while the American government sought military targets with the idea that the whole nation should be punished for the conflict.
Reference
Shiels, Frederick. 2024. “Why We Bomb.” Progressive Future USA.