What you all have to think about is how many more lives would have been lost if the USA, Britain, Australia and Russia had to invade Japan by force of men in arms. I know more countries were involved, but cut it short.
Japan swore to resist to the last man women and child, but once the bomb was dropped and they could not fight against that kind of weapon they knew they were done for. Even then, they thought the damage done at Hiroshima was a fluke / accident and not just a single bomb even though there on people told them it was ( scientist that is ) we told them it was and warned them, thus we dropped a second. That settled it.
Flame all you want, it want change that one fact.
Estimate alone in just US WIA / KIA / MIA was estimated at over 1 Million if we had gone in by force of arms to end the war in the pacific. We didn't even have that many ground troops. This estimate was based on the last few Japan home islands the we battled the Japs on and there resistance on them which got harder and harder as we closed in. They beleived if they made the cost in lives to great for us they would win, and they were most likley right or would have at least got a negotiated ceasefire. As support for the war was wearing heavy at home.
I don't like the fact we were the first to use the A-Bomb, but it was sort of justified when looking at the "short term" picture KIA wise for all sides. But dropping the bomb cannot be changed and someone would have if the war continued as it was. If we don't all wake the heck up soon too we are gonna have a bigger war than WW2 (Not blaming just GW, many political people beside him ar ate fault here ) if we do not all come together and get over all our bickering in politics. No not a "One World Government" either. But something needs done IMHO. I like my freedom and the 2nd Ammedment to....lol, and the UN doesnt like us having the freedom to bare arms against enemy's foriegn and domestic. Yeah, I know, kinda hypocritical statement about peace and bearing arms, but there will always be criminals and I will defend myself. Here in Dallas, Texas last year over 7500 emergency calls to police took over 3 hours for the police to respond. These calls include intruders in the house, burgler's and aggrivated assaults. One call really stood out, it took the Police over 12 hours and 4 911 emergency calls before they finally came. But by then there entire house was cleaned out completely. The local news media here ripped the Police Chief a new butthole over that one...LOL