Nuclear Weapons

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Very good post.

I do disagree about the rebuilding statement. Germany (Dresden specifically) was demolished in many ways, but was rebuilt and thrives. I have no doubt that if we had firebombed Japan, we would have been there for the re-building as well.

I also think there was a huge political aspect to the bombings, warning Russia off at the time, and if we had not done that, history most certainly would have written a different story.

If I remember right in Roman history, after a series of brutal Carthaginian wars, they salted the earth. This was their final act to say they were not gonna fight the same fight anymore. I have always looked at Hiroshima/Nagasaki in that light. Americans had expended a lot of blood and toil for Europe and Asia's fights, and the American President and people were fed up and wanted to make a huge statement to the effect - If you want to keep fighting, we are going to go postal on you a**.

We firebombed Tokyo and rebuilt it. It is thought by many that the firebombings were far more destructive than the A-bombs.

Bombing of Tokyo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Russians were huge in ending the war in Japan. If the Japanese had been allowed to evacuate their armies in Manchuria they would've been able to hold out for another six months to a year, A-bomb or not.

The Soviet Army Offensive: Manchuria, 1945

I disagree with the Peace Museum's revamped explanation of some of the reasons that we used the bomb. If we had the bomb in 1943 we would have used it on Germany. We had no problem firebombing them and snuffing out civilians who lived in their industrial cities. Since they manned those factories they might as well have been targets too. We were de facto at war with the Germans before they declared war on us anyway.

Only Italy escaped the massive firebombings because we didn't want to destroy the ancient history of the Western world. Besides the Italians had stopped fighting for the most part and in the end turned on the Germans and El Deuce.

I agree with you. Pay back is a MOFO and all is fair in love in war. There is one thing that the Americans did do in WWII that no one can dispute, win.

I would bet my bottom dollar that more countries in the future will aquire nuclear weapons than give them up. Many countries are nuclear capable already, most notably Germany, Japan, and Canada. I think there are a few Latin American countries that could build the bomb too, Brazil and Argentina if I'm not mistaken.

The question that this thread asks if irrelevant. If the people in all nations decided to ban nuclear weapons it still wouldn't matter. If the governments and military establishments want them, they'll keep them.

Anyone who believes the Russians or the Chinese will ever give up nuclear weapons needs to have their head examined.