Well, we did make them remake much of their governmental system and forcibly introduced some things that are probably a precursor to modern wokeness in certain ways. We established a military base that is still disproportionately responsible for rapes in Okinawa. But at the same time, once we get that far afield we're playing some big what-ifs. What if we hadn't made them make certain concessions, and then they rearmed, or allied to the USSR? What if we hadn't made them make certain concessions and then their economic recovery goes differently and they're actually worse off than they are today? What if reduced US presence makes the Korean War go worse? Or Vietnam? (Yes, that one already went pretty bad, but is there a different reality where Communism spreads to Thailand or Japan or elsewhere in the region)? So on and so forth.
Is there an ideal world where everything goes better than it did here? Yeah, almost certainly, but we don't really know what that world looks like or how it could have been reached, or how close to ideal we got. In general, I agree with you that the Japanese didn't get fucked over too badly or anything all things considered.
I was thinking the same thing about subtly conquering them, but that cultural exchange happens whether Japan wins or loses. The Japanese Empire overextended, and the US beat them only back to their original borders. And then figured out "we are more naturally friends" and switched sides in the eternal conflict with China.
Well, we did make them remake much of their governmental system and forcibly introduced some things that are probably a precursor to modern wokeness in certain ways. We established a military base that is still disproportionately responsible for rapes in Okinawa. But at the same time, once we get that far afield we're playing some big what-ifs. What if we hadn't made them make certain concessions, and then they rearmed, or allied to the USSR? What if we hadn't made them make certain concessions and then their economic recovery goes differently and they're actually worse off than they are today? What if reduced US presence makes the Korean War go worse? Or Vietnam? (Yes, that one already went pretty bad, but is there a different reality where Communism spreads to Thailand or Japan or elsewhere in the region)? So on and so forth.
Is there an ideal world where everything goes better than it did here? Yeah, almost certainly, but we don't really know what that world looks like or how it could have been reached, or how close to ideal we got. In general, I agree with you that the Japanese didn't get fucked over too badly or anything all things considered.
I was thinking the same thing about subtly conquering them, but that cultural exchange happens whether Japan wins or loses. The Japanese Empire overextended, and the US beat them only back to their original borders. And then figured out "we are more naturally friends" and switched sides in the eternal conflict with China.