On the business community silence on wages
Gerald Butler writes: Re. “Where’s the party? Eerie silence accompanies wage falls” (Thursday)
If the advice of the Business Council of Australia and the Liberal party had been taken for the last few decades, the minimum wage would be about $9.30, and we would be on a par with the US. We could have our own real life ghettos and Oxycontin addled small towns everywhere. There would be no universal super for the plebs and without Medicare healthcare would cost a motza. Imagine getting your teeth pulled out with pliers in a paddock behind Gympie (as I saw happen in South Carolina).
The value of the individual is paramount, as long as they’ve got a quid.
On President Truman’s bombing of Japan
Roger Clifton writes: Re. “Smarter than your average Colbert: liberal media’s stupid obsession with Trump’s intelligence” (Thursday)
Truman authorised not one or two mass bombings on Japan, but over a hundred, many of them with more casualties than the famous two. They were far from “needless”, though, as the alternative to aerial bombardment was to have let the bloodthirsty Gen. MacArthur invade with an estimated 500,000 American lives lost. Subsequently, Truman had enough restraint to deny MacArthur the use of “The Bomb” in Korea.
MacArthur was not the architect of strategy having been pushed back by Halsey. The US heads were thinking also of recent events in Iwo Jima and Okinawa. There were certainly more Japanese killed in the top 3 conventional bombing raids eg 100 000 in Tokyo. MacArthur was however a self publicising, loud mouthed, poorly informed liar and cost us a lot of lives. Truman wisely sacked him. Harry S was said to have been a “mighty scientific” cusser. Truman did not authorise specific raids (other than the A bombs) he left the specifics to Gen LeMay.
Gerald – Ah the Oxycontin! That’s the big cities monopoly – go to any public hospital Accident & Emergency department Department – with ingrown toe nail or cancer [ actually doesn’t matter about the condition ] causing pain – receive Oxycontin for pain from the nurse or cleaner -no uniforms so one doesn’t who – if pain relieved go home return if it recurs. The 4 hour turn around standard has been reached . the biggest drug initiation problem are the public hospitals in big cities – it helps the turnaround & stops the pollies from seeking headlines in tomorrows papers. also ghettos are already in big cities not country towns.
Roger,
The Japanese surrender wasn’t precipitated by the bombing of Nagasaki. What’s another destroyed city when 60 or so cities had already been destroyed?
The Japanese capitulation was precipitated by the Soviet invasion of Manchuria which the vaunted Manchukuo Army wasn’t able to stop. Or put up much of a defence.
The Japanese War Cabinet briefly discussed the bombing, then went on to more important matters (the Soviet declaration of war).
MacArthur wouldn’t need to invade Japan in 1946.