Your thoughts on Harry S Truman

[Dpm12]

I just read that he left office with a 28% approval rating and that his lowest Gallup rating of 22% recorded in March 1952 is the lowest ever recorded in the history of the poll (Richard Nixon's lowest was 24% in August 1974, Shrub's was lowest was 25% in October 2008, Carter had only 28% in June 1979, and Papa Bush had 29% in February 1992). I can't see what was so bad about him. The Korea War was kind of out of control and slightly unnecessary but other than that, I really can't think of anything bad about the guy. Your thoughts?

[Th1onein]

1. I don't like Truman because he dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

But, at the risk of getting the whole DU/Hiroshima thing going again, I'll leave it at that.

[MineralMan]

6. FDR oversaw the development of the nuclear weapons that

were used in Japan. Had he not died, he would have given the order himself. In actual fact, Truman did not even know about the project until FDR died and he was briefed on them.

The nuclear weapons were FDR's project, and he would have used them on Germany, had not the war in Europe ended. There is no doubt that he would have used them in Japan. Strategic bombing of civilian targets was part of the war strategy he endorsed during WWII. I cannot imagine that he would have stopped before using the new technology. Plans were well underway by the time he died to use those bombs in Japan.

Those are the facts. Truman gave the final order, but everything was already in place and ready.

[Dpm12]

8. Personally, I think that dropping the bombs was the right move.

Yes a lot of innocent people died as a result, but believe it or not, the bombs saved more people then they killed. If the bombs hadn't been dropped and the war had continued, an even larger number of Japanese civilians then died as a result of the bombs dead and more American soldiers would have been killed. The war had gone on for 6 years, it was time for it to end.

[Th1onein]

21. Whether it ended the war early or not is debateable.

Sorry you feel that way.

[Poddy Fries]

14. And I like him...for exactly the same reason.

[Th1onein]

20. Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay.

Got to say, it's sad to see someone here, especially, that would cheer the death of the thousands who died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not to mention OUR own soldiers who were bombed into oblivion in a POW camp in Hiroshima.

[Downwinder]

2. He created the CIA.

[el_bryanto]

3. Truman has a lot to recommend him

But he was a mid-west conservative democrat, foisted on FDR in his last election. And, as noted above, he approved of the use of Atomic Bombs on Japan. So a mixed record at best.

Bryant

[dmosh42]

4. Being a young kid when Truman left office, I do remember he was unpopular then....

because of several factors, in my opinion. First, he committed our troops to a 'police action' in Korea, on behalf of the UN, which was still a new thing on the scene. We had only ended WW2 about five years earlier. so, like now, the country wanted to take a break. Then he replaced Gen. MacArthur(fired) due to his patrician attitude I believe. (Mac still had feelings of being emperor of Japan and acted towards Harry like he was too common) Harry also didn't hesitate to end segregation in the military, as he felt it was the right thing. And maybe Harry's biggest problem was he never expressed remorse when he called somebody a name, like 'son-of-a-bitch', and the press went right ahead and printed what he thought. I always liked Harry, because he was a real common man, an enlisted man in the infantry in WW1, and best of all, he knew most of the rich guys were the real enemies.

[ieoeja]

7. He did not replace MacArthur because of MacArthur's attitude.

First, MacArthur had already lost command. Marines stopped taking orders from MacArthur the day before the Chinese attacked at Chosin and Kunu Ri. Within 48 hours after that, UN allied commanders and all but one US division commander stopped taking orders from MacArthur.

Second, MacArthur ordered the Pacific SAC Commander to drop atomic bombs in North Korea. Yes, you read that correctly. He ordered the SAC Commander to launch a nuclear attack. SAC, of course, refused. Mac told them he had written authority from the White House and the Pentagon, but that it would take time to locate. Fortunately for the world, SAC did not believe MacArthur.

Didn't know Dr Strangelove was a documentary, did you?

After SAC's refusal, MacArthur locked himself away for a time. He probably didn't even know the troops in Korea were no longer taking his orders. Because he wasn't issuing any. I would say it was extremely lucky that Ridgeway was already en route when everything fell apart. But it wasn't luck. This did not come out of nowhere. Ridgeway was en route because the Pentagon had too many reports suggesting MacArthur was bordering on outright insanity.

When you get down to it, Truman did not actually fire MacArthur. He just took care of the paperwork after the Generals in Korea fired MacArthur. Or after MacArthur walked off the job as both things had already occurred.

[Journeyman]

5. He could have done something about HUAC & McCarthyism, but instead he helped feed the fear. . .

with the institution of "loyalty boards" and acquiescence to the persecution of many solid citizens.

He led us into the conflict in Korea, arguably one of the least popular wars in our nation's history, an intervention both costly and mindlessly bloody.

He launched the "Cold War," another costly, unnecessary policy, the impact of which continues to reverberate through our society to this day.

There were many good things he accomplished, and he showed himself to be a very determined and steady hand. History seems to be treating him more fairly than his contemporaries did, but there's no denying he instituted many highly unfavorable policies and showed himself to be spineless almost as often as he exhibited great courage.

[trumad]

9. One of the best Presidents in the history of this country...

He hated fucking Republicans... Hated them to no end.

[madinmaryland]

10. What happened to your Truman avatar??

[trumad]

12. Fucking Pitt stole it.

[madinmaryland]

17. Thought you might like this and fucking Pitt is not the reason...

...Florida, where I grew up, is officially in a state of disgrace when it comes to the 2013 NFL season. The 0-8 Jaguars, 0-7 Bucs and 3-4 Dolphins are a combined 3-19 (.136), and since Miami beat visiting Atlanta in Week 3, the Sunshine State boys are 0-13 and starting to cumulatively approach laughingstock status.

Three wins by the three in-state teams as November approaches has to be the low point of Florida's pro football experience, which began with the AFL expansion Dolphins in 1966. They've never all been this bad at the same time, but it does seem like ages since they've really been relevant in the league's elite class. Miami last made the playoffs in 2008, with Jacksonville and Tampa Bay both visiting the postseason most recently in 2007.

And it gets worse the deeper you dig: the Bucs haven't won a playoff game since their 2002 season Super Bowl run; the Dolphins haven't won in the postseason since 2000, and the Jaguars own just one playoff win (a first-round upset at Pittsburgh in 2007) since humiliating Miami 62-7 in Dan Marino's and Jimmy Johnson's final NFL game, in the 1999 playoffs. That must have angered the football gods or induced bad karma of some kind. Because the NFL in Florida has become an almost embarrassing afterthought.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20131031/nfl-picks-week-9/#ixzz2jLWyFuMv

[trumad]

18. Already read it...

Dallas aint doing that much better...

[madinmaryland]

19. Yeah. Dallas is in first in the NFC Least. Someone in that division

could actually make the playoffs at 6-10 or 7-9. Shit, if it was the old NFC East, the Cardinals would have a good chance of winning the division.

[CK_John]

11. Saved us from a military coup, insured civilian rule of the military.

[KamaAina]

13. "Truman was the last authentic American, with all the characteristic faults and virtues of the breed

to occupy the White House, and I doubt very much if there will ever be another."--Malcolm Muggeridge

[roamer65]

15. Thomas Dewey would have been far worse.

[The Midway Rebel]

16. Helped kick start civil rights by desegregating armed forces.

Last US President without a college education.

For better or worse, he recognized Israel.

Drank Old Grand Dad Bourbon and played poker.

[HereSince1628]

22. If he'd had a no-no, he wouldn't have had that nickname