We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo - men, women and children. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?

Summary

This quote highlights the fundamental question of moral ambiguity in warfare. It reflects on the destructive approach adopted by General LeMay during World War II, who ordered the firebombing of Tokyo that resulted in the deaths of many innocent civilians. The quote suggests that winning or losing a war shouldn't determine the moral judgment of an action. It provokes us to critically analyze the ethical implications of warfare, questioning whether the morality of an action should depend on who emerges victorious, or if there should be a universal standard of what constitutes immorality in armed conflicts.

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