Do you think nuking Japan was a necessary evil?

[NineSpine]

It's impossible to know how many people would die if the war were to continue. People can speculate all they want, but without allowing that path to go to fruition, we can't say. The bomb did do what it set out to do, end the war with a known cost, which we speculated would save more lives than the decision to proceed with the war as usual.

The question of morality is a tough one. Would it be moral to go back in time and kill a serial murderer when they were a child, while they were innocent? Is it moral to kill someone with a deadly disease who is trying to break their quarantine and enter the general public putting them in danger? Is morality simply a numbers game? Is it always moral to choose the decision that results in the least amount of damage in the whole view of things?

Except Japan was going to surrender anyway and the dropping of the bombs was immaterial. Even if you want to argue dropping them could work and so it made sense, it didn't make sense to not wait two more weeks to see how Japan would react to the threat of Russian invasion, and then it makes even less sense to drop two in quick succession.

[nihila]

Obviously yes, it ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives by preventing a Japan mainland invasion from the US, it also stopped a Japan mainland invasion by the Soviet Union, which would've only made things worse as well.

It saved American and maybe Soviet soldiers lives but many Japanese civilians died right?

[Daymanmb]

the dropping of the bombs was immaterial.

Unless youre trying to demonstrate your dominance as an emerging world power. Worked well in that respect.

[NineSpine]

It saved American and maybe Soviet soldiers lives but many Japanese civilians died right?

It probably didn't save any lives. Japan was already totally handicapped as their military was mainly naval and that was eradicated already. Japan had neither the means nor the will to engage in a land war, so surrender was imminent.

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Unless youre trying to demonstrate your dominance and ability to be a world power.

Right, but still immaterial to the surrender of Japan. If you want to argue the goal was to show Stalin who he was fucking with, you may have a point.

[Endus]

Except Japan was going to surrender anyway and the dropping of the bombs was immaterial. Even if you want to argue dropping them could work and so it made sense, it didn't make sense to not wait two more weeks to see how Japan would react to the threat of Russian invasion, and then it makes even less sense to drop two in quick succession.

Unless, as I said, the action was a way to say "Hey, Stalin, we've got the fucking A-bomb. Back the FUCK down." Two bombs with different payloads demonstrates that you've got the tech down pat and in production.

[Gulharum]

After witnessing Obama (whom I despise) set foot into Hiroshima presumably to simply to assert his American might seeing how he made no apology or feel any real remorse, coupled with the responses of other Americans, this old topic came to mind again. Was nuking Japan necessary? I mean for how we demonize the act in one end, other Americans would remind you that Japan was ax-crazy during those times and we forced them into a surrender that saved more lives.

I'd say it was the easy/convenient way out of a very serious global problem. It's probable that issues with Japan could have been solved without dropping nuclear bombs on cities full of civilians. Maybe I'm just too optimistic, but I think it was unnecessary.

Endus' post implying that we were posturing/flexing at Russia with our nukes is an interesting point I didn't consider. Still, it's hard for me to logically justify dropping nukes on civilians... Imagine if you were at home doing your normal daily stuff, minding your own business, and all of a sudden, boom--you and your entire city are smoked. There's no excuse for it imo.

[Daymanmb]

Unless, as I said, the action was a way to say "Hey, Stalin, we've got the fucking A-bomb. Back the FUCK down."

Didnt seem to slow Russia down when it came to the arms rush that was stealing German Scientists.

[Strangebrew]

Even if by some far chance it was necessary(though i doubt it was, Japan was on the verge of surrending anyways)
Everything inn me tells me it was a cruel and disgusting act by americans that i personally could never forgive.

[Daymanmb]

Right, but still immaterial to the surrender of Japan.

Youre right.

[runique]

I don't think it was necessary, and it sucked, but I also don't demonize it the same way many do. Human rights were sacrificed everywhere during WWII and it really showcases the horrors of war, but I don't think it says anything about America being some super evil place. It is more of the icing on the cake, showing that humans are just really shitty.

[NineSpine]

Didnt seem to slow Russia down when it came to the arms rush that was stealing German Scientists.

That's the thing about scaring people with weapons: It makes them want their own.

[YUPPIE]

I don't think your thoughts are based in reality.

There's no reason to be there or pull off this publicity stunt otherwise. Japan has long been plagued with an identity crisis since America's triumph and I think sometimes we like to celebrate this fact by stepping foot in there with such bravado.

Don't be deceived by whatever lies people feed you about America having good relations with Japan in the present. Deep down, most still consider them less-than-human like in WW2 and they fear and despise us for everything but are powerless to do anything but quiver to our will.

[Daymanmb]

Everything inn me tells me it was a cruel and disgusting act by americans that i personally could never forgive.

Aced it! /2more

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That's the thing about scaring people with weapons: It makes them want their own.

Had they not been able to develop their own, we very well may be living in a whole different world right now..

[Alvito]

War is never answer and taking lives from others no one should judge over a live no one and no one should do it in the name of million other peopels.

That is fine and good but has nothing to do with this. Tehn again a nonsense question deserves a nonsense answer.

[Stormdash]

That was one of the most disgraceful spectacles in the history of the American Presidency. There was no "evil", what there was was an end to a war that would have gone on to cost both sides significantly, significantly more lives than the two bombs took. The Japanese were told to surrender before Hiroshima, they were told again before Nagasaki, they had a chance to avert both.

[urasim]

After witnessing Obama (whom I despise) set foot into Hiroshima presumably to simply to assert his American might seeing how he made no apology or feel any real remorse, coupled with the responses of other Americans, this old topic came to mind again. Was nuking Japan necessary? I mean for how we demonize the act in one end, other Americans would remind you that Japan was ax-crazy during those times and we forced them into a surrender that saved more lives.

Why should he apologize or feel remorse for something he didn't do? This is some religious "sins of the father" bullshit that we need to get away from.

[NineSpine]

There's no reason to be there or pull off this publicity stunt otherwise. Japan has long been plagued with an identity crisis since America's triumph and I think sometimes we like to celebrate this fact by stepping foot in there with such bravado.

Don't be deceived by whatever lies people feed you about America having good relations with Japan in the present. Deep down, most still consider them less-than-human like in WW2 and they fear and despise us for everything but are powerless to do anything but quiver to our will.

Japan has exerted huge amounts of economic control over the United States, especially in the 80s and 90s.

[Daymanmb]

That was one of the most disgraceful spectacles in the history of the American Presidency. There was no "evil", what there was was an end to a war that would have gone on to cost both sides significantly, significantly more lives than the two bombs took. The Japanese were told to surrender before Hiroshima, they were told again before Nagasaki, they had a chance to avert both.

Care to bring some facts into this? Speculation is all most of what that is, the rest of it is plain wrong.

[NineSpine]

Why should he apologize or feel remorse for something he didn't do? This is some religious "sins of the father" bullshit that we need to get away from.

He speaks for the nation. If a company turns out to have done something wrong twenty years ago, you expect the current CEO to issue a statement.

[Naxere]

To win the war? No. To show the world the possibilities of what a nuclear war would do to the planet? Yes.