Editor’s Note: All the people I knew who were confronted by the prospect of being ground up in the invasion of Japan’s home islands are gone. Dad’s class at Pensacola were weeks away from having the Wings of Gold pinned on their Aviation Green uniforms and line up for transportation to the Far East. Our pal Admiral Mac was compiling information from the Estimates section at the forward headquarters to present to Admiral Nimitz. Our pal Rex Rectanus was strolling the decks of a minesweeper, preparing for in-close operations in the explosive infested waters off Kyushu. Talking to Mac about the factors that informed the decision to drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese made me understand the cost that was avoided, both to the Americans and the Japanese echoed down the years as history made it’s changing judgments. It is worth a thought on this 75th anniversary of the end of it. There will be few who participated left when the years pass a few more times. Remember the sacrifice of them all, and the Japanese decision to end the madness.
-Vic

Authors Note: 75 years ago today, Japan’s emperor went on the radio to surrender unconditionally to Allied Forces, effectively ending divine reign in Japan. It was an obit of sorts.
Over here it’s common newspaper practice to pen such draft obits “just in case.” Here’s my stab at one for US.
-Marlow
15 august 2020

America’s Obit — preliminary draft for file

America, the once preeminent protector of and producer for the free world, died last week from complications of losing its mind and then its soul in quick succession. It was either 240 plus or 401 plus years old depending on which calendar was used. Soft-spoken, big stick carrying and obsessive, it never thought it looked like the hopeless romantic it was.

During its final days of life, it discovered an unknown side of its psyche. This hidden quasi-Freudian persona surfaced during its Sam Spade pursuit for its long, reputed soul mate and philosophical source of its founding; a legendary land of which it had only heard a few precious tales. Sadly, its protracted hokey pokey search ended late one night last week in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous country-that-could secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. “Nuh-uh,” it whispered in response to this proposition as it lay there on its death bed. Sadly, it passed on before telling its attendants what it actually is all about.

Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Chairman Xi The Great, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader of the Middle Kingdom and Chief Executive Officer for American Industries INC, described America as a changed country in the last years of its life. “Things were never clearer for it,” Xi noted. “Ultimately, America in my mind concluded that if it was to live life in harmony with the universe it must submit to what western ancients used to call fatum — what we currently refer to as destiny.”

“That manifest destiny is with me and mine.”

No services are planned. Readers are reminded that 996 work rules remain in effect until further notice. All praise and glory to our dear leader Xi The Great.

Postscripts: Someone once said, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Not sure that was true in America’s case. It looks like it picked wrongly regarding life’s binary proposition — get busy living or get busy dying.

An early indication and warning of America’s troubles was when they started making shit stuff. Unbelievable, unremarkable shit. Now I’m not talking about existential crap stuff just boring, non-unique old stuff in shiny new packaging. It was too easy to pick it apart — bad manufacturing quality control, short-sighted design, and a purely moronic sizzle instead of steak marketing. No, what I’m talking about is the lack of pushing the envelope.

And this was back in the 70s — there was no CNN, there was no CNBC, there was no Internet to call us out! Now, fast-forward to today. Present time, same situation. Cutting edge stuff started pouring out of Asia a decade ago. We copied it, but they manufactured it for us.

That was when America’s tombstone started being cut and engraved. Somewhere in East Asia.

Copyright © 2020 From My Isle Seat
www.vicsocotra.com