Hiroshima revisited: Dropping WMD on populated cities dishonorable way to win a war?

[James Madison]

What? America and the Soviet Union were basically friends in World War II.

The European Theatre was over. Had to get a head-start on the Cold War.

[FrankRep]

The European Theatre was over. Had to get a head-start on the Cold War.

It become a "Cold War" because Russian spies stole our Nuclear Weapon technology.


Article:

Vladimir Putin Praises Communist Spies in U.S. for Stealing U.S. Nuclear Secrets
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...uclear-Secrets

[anaconda]

What? America and the Soviet Union were basically friends in World War II.

For post war hegemony & politics. We were not friends with the Soviet Union after WWII.

[anaconda]

Here's a fun flick you can watch online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...films/pacific/

[oyarde]

Recently watched movie Fat Man & Little Boy that is based on US military's Manhattan project. Apparently at the time, some scientists and generals dissented and saw dropping of a WMD on a populated city without warning a dishonrable way to win a war. Do you agree or disagree with such a view?

Little Boy was dropped on the city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, followed by the Fat Man over Nagasaki on 9 August. These WMDs dropped on two populated cities by US military killed over 200,000 civilians of Japanese race.

What Generals ? How many had ever been in harms way ? any WW1 Vets who had laid in the trenches with corpses of own men and corpses of enemy scattered about and piled so high in front of them , they needed to stand on something to shoot over it for the next onslought ? Could they remember , taste , hear & smell , the smell of rotting , maggot infested horse flesh , men , machine guns , wire etc . ??

[emazur]

Nobody ever mentions that Japan was also developing atomic bombs


America did send Japan warnings of an attack (I've heard that any Japanese who picked up and read these leaflets would have been punished by the Japanese government though. But still, I'm sure the government didn't ignore them or make any effort to evacuate citizens):
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-f...article07.html

Back on Saipan, the OWI presses were turning out leaflets that revealed the special nature of Hiroshima’s destruction and predicted similar fates for more Japanese cities in the absence of immediate acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam agreement. By 9 August, more than 5 million leaflets about the atom bomb had been released over major Japanese cities. The OWI radio station beamed a similar message to Japan every 15 minutes.

The Japanese text on the reverse side of the leaflet carried the following warning: “Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately.” (See Richard S. R. Hubert, “The OWI Saipan Operation,” Official Report to US Information Service, Washington, DC 1946.)

[oyarde]

Truly , what we need is less war , less invasions , more acceptance of others , regardless of how barbarian they may look to me , I am , Not THEM and it is not may place to interfere , I do not have to approve , or believe , I only have to do what , I really should do , take care of my own . I am willing to accept this , and others must be as well...

[dillo]

um the japanese empire was more cruel than the nazis, the real question is whether or not they would have attacked us if we had not blocked their supply routes before pearl harbor

[Lishy]

When is it ever acceptable to launch a nuke?

[talkingpointes]

How can anyone disagree. We dropped atomic bombs on paper cities. WE EVAPORATED BABIES FOR CHRIST SAKES. The Japanese could of landed on our mainland with the helping hand of god. The were fighting on multiple fronts without oil to boot.