Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Randomizer
Nikimcbee opens the door to an aspect of the atomic bombings that is almost entirely ignored when discussions about the 'rights' and 'wrongs' are conducted. I think that some major issues tend to be overlooked or merely given lip-service.
1. The stratigic bombing of cities was considered a legitimate military operation in a total war setting. The Allies placed the morality of the policy on the back-burner as it were, and I believe that at that time and place, they were entirely correct in doing so. By extension, the use of the Bomb on Hiroshima an Nagasaki constitued a more efficient application of firepower and was fully in accordance with the doctrine in effect at the time. The events should be considered in that light.
2. The awful examples from 1945 acted as a vivid reminder to leaders whenever a finger got itchy on the nuclear trigger throughout the Cold War. How much of a deterent would there have been at say Berlin or Korea or Cuba without the world having the images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki burned into it collective consciousness. What would have happened in subsequent crisis' without the lessons of the atomic bombing's placing a restraining hand on the decision makers? Employing the small and dirty Fat Man and Little Boy probably prevented first use from being later, thermonuclear and hundreds of times larger. No one nuclear test shot (and there were some 800+ surface tests) comes to mind when one thinks about using nuclear weapons but the images from Hiroshima and Nagasaki certainly do.
3. One of the great myths of the event was that there was no third bomb. Several Fat Man assemblies were at Tinian and the fissil material for the next bomb (target Kokura Arsenal for 15 August) remained in the United States when Pres. Truman forbid the next attack. This happened before the formal acceptance of Potsdam by the Japanese and is evidence that the nuclear weapons paradox has already started to kick in. The paradox is that this most powerful of weapons is essentially useless and employing them at all constitutes an excellent example of a zero-sum decision.
Every year about this time the use of the Bombs comes under scrutiny using contemporary morals, rhetoric and 20/20 hindsite and this will likely continue until somebody nukes another city. I do believe however that the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were big, although greatly understated factors in the Cold War not turning hot.
Good Hunting
|
I'm glad you understand my point.
i think the dropping of these bombs made all sides think twice before they moved during the Cold War. Dropping H-bombs would have been much worse.