To the lowlifes who can only bring up “the atomic bomb” whenever they want to insult Japan: In 1945, Japan was reduced to ashes. Cities were destroyed. Factories stopped. People struggled even to find food. And yet, in only about twenty years, Japan had risen again to become one of the world’s leading economies. Of course, American support, access to its market, and the security alliance all played a major role. But favorable conditions alone do not rebuild a country. Japan rose because people restarted the factories, improved the technology, and kept working. Before long, Japanese cars and electronics were being used around the world. A country once reduced to ruins became a country that helped shape modern life. So whenever you bring up the atomic bomb, what we remember is not defeat. We remember the strength of a country that was devastated—and still rose again. Every time you use the atomic bomb to insult Japan, you end up proving, in your own words, just how extraordinary Japan’s recovery really was.