From: owner-angry-psychos-digest@smoe.org (angry-psychos-digest) To: angry-psychos-digest@smoe.org Subject: angry-psychos-digest V7 #172 Reply-To: angry-psychos@smoe.org Sender: owner-angry-psychos-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-angry-psychos-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "angry-psychos-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. angry-psychos-digest Saturday, June 15 2002 Volume 07 : Number 172 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Or How I learned to love the bomb. ["Derek Benton" Subject: Re: Or How I learned to love the bomb. Somebody had mentioned that they thought the word that applied to the philosophy of the Japanese military was "Bushido". That is correct. Bushido basically means "Way of the Warrior". Bushi = Warrior Do = way of. It's also interesting to note that Bushi can also mean: "one who lays down". Basically, according to the code of Bushido written several centuries ago, a warrior is taught to accept death and to bear death in mind at all times. This isn't a morbid mindset, it's intended as a "compass" for the warrior to conduct his life. If you might be dead tomorrow, then nothing you say, think, or do is trivial and will conduct yourself in a way that bring honor to your Shogun (King) Daimyo (Vassal i.e. Duke) your family, and your name. What does this mean? This means the Japanese would have fought to the last of them; to die for the Emperor is the most glorious death. The body count would have been massive, though I can't say larger or smaller than what it wound up being. Casualties would have been high on both sides, regardless. Of course, bombing a civilian target (meaning many more civilians than military personnel) I personally don't think was such a good idea. There were other ways that by using the Japanese philosophy to our advantage would have caused them to surrender. Anyways, that's my $.02 D ------------------------------ End of angry-psychos-digest V7 #172 ***********************************