Was the nuclear bombing of Japan WW2 the wrong or right thing to do?

[ford man xf]

I have had the discussion with people before regarding the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Negasaki and often a lot of people say it was the wrong thing to do and it should not have been done it was a great injustice etc. etc. but the way I look at it an invasion would have cost more lives on both sides, dragged the war on for longer and more conventional bombs would have been dropped anyway. People say it was a waste of lives but surely most of those people supported the Japanese war efforts anyway...

What are peoples views?

[MAV50L]

It was an act of war. Something best not second guessed or picked to pieces but remembered.
A lot of people in times of war make decisions and do things they dont wish to do and are not proud of but they do it because it has to be done.
We were not there and I believe for us to be discussing and debating over whether it was the right thing to do or not is an incrediably disrespectful act towards both the people who made the decision and gave the orders for the bombing , the people who had to do it under orders and ive with the memory of what they have done and also even though they were the enemy the victims.

[Fordman]

Its hard to say, in terms of effectively cleaning up and showing Japan they could not win it was right, it also cost many innocent lives and was devastating however. It's hard to say but in war innocents really are at the mercy of their leaders and Japan paid for this, although strategically speaking the move was correct.

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by MAV50L

It was an act of war. Something best not second guessed or picked to pieces but remembered.
A lot of people in times of war make decisions and do things they dont wish to do and are not proud of but they do it because it has to be done.
We were not there and I believe for us to be discussing and debating over whether it was the right thing to do or not is an incrediably disrespectful act towards both the people who made the decision and gave the orders for the bombing , the people who had to do it under orders and ive with the memory of what they have done and also even though they were the enemy the victims.

Agreed.

[OLDFORDNUT]

i voted neutral as th first bomb made them agree to surrender but the Americans dropped another after the Jap Emporer was already on the way to meet with the USA on the American destroyer to sign the treaty,

[ford man xf]

I just don't understand how many people always say it was wrong, its usually the younger crowd and you are right in that you say we werent there so its hard to judge but people always say it should be discussed so its not forgotten and others say so it can never happen again. Its a hard one and considering that there are now 9 nuclear states (and possibly israel) and others joining (iran) who knows if it may happen again.

[GT69]

Originally Posted by OLDFORDNUT

i voted neutral as th first bomb made them agree to surrender but the Americans dropped another after the Jap Emporer was already on the way to meet with the USA on the American destroyer to sign the treaty,

Incorrect. The first bomb made the Emporer think 'how many more could they have' The second made him realise Japan could be destroyed completely without an allied soldier setting foot on Japanese soil.

The bombing....hmmm i agree with it. What IT did afterwards is the big question.

IF they didn't drop that bomb, The Russians would have continued the war against Europe, the dropping of the Nuclear bomb changed his mind. In saying that, We had the cold war.

[Burnout]

Truman decided to use the bomb when he saw casualty assessments by planners for the invasion & conventional war on the Japanese mainland.

These casualty figures were in the order of 2million US casualties.

[zetec]

Well in pure selfishness I may very possibly not have been here today had it not been dropped.

My Grandfather was in Saigon as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese when the bomb was dropped. He was on board one of a number of boats loaded with Allied POW's heading to Japan after the completion of the Thailand - Burma Railway when 2 of the boats were torpedoed by American Subs mistaking them as Japanese supply ships (they were indeed Japanese vessels). His remaining ship survived and escaped into the Saigon River. He was there when the bomb was dropped and liberated by French paratroopers. It's quite possible that had the war continued he may have still survived but there's too many "what ifs" to know conclusively.

All I know is I'm glad it was not in my lifetime and that hopefully won't ever be in anyone else's either.

[XRSIKS]

....

They dropped 2?

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by SNBXR

....

They dropped 2?

Crikey, thats why a thread like this (bit out of left field too) will go no where because it's mainly young ones here and they don't know their history.
It was a necessary evil done at the time to stop a manaical war and it worked.
Let it rest in the annals of history and let us all learn by it.
By the way, I voted yes.

[Bent8]

WW2 was wrong period!

Let me explain...

WW2 was a manufactured culling of the world population and more importantly was used to establish the United Nations because the Treaty of Versailles failed after WW1.

The UN was established to ultimately create a One World Order, not promote peace! If you don't believe me, I have hours of evidence to prove it, just PM me for links....I promise you will be shocked!

George Bush's grandpa, Prescott Bush actually funded Hitler's war machine in the 40's through the Union Banking Corp. (which was essentially a money laundering front company)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_K2F...eature=related

Also, Germany was a fast-growing industrious country which had to be stopped. The plan was to install Hitler and get him to invade Europe and the Middle East, then have him over-extend his Nazi war machine and ultimately bring Communism into his backyard...the plan worked!

Look into the "Reichstag Fire" which basically got the German nation behind Hitler, much in the same way the US got behind Bush after 911.

I won't go into who ordered the atomic bombing of Japan...but PM me if you really want to know.

This post is in NO WAY an insult to the millions of brave and heroic allied soldiers who fought to the death to defend freedom!

[jaydee]

...and the shooter was on the grassy knoll, paid for by the CIA, man didn't land on the moon, and Roswell aliens really exist.

[Geez Louise]

Geez...who left the opener out for this can of worms???

Controversial topics will always attract controversial answers.

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by MAV50L

It was an act of war. Something best not second guessed or picked to pieces but remembered.
A lot of people in times of war make decisions and do things they dont wish to do and are not proud of but they do it because it has to be done.
We were not there and I believe for us to be discussing and debating over whether it was the right thing to do or not is an incrediably disrespectful act towards both the people who made the decision and gave the orders for the bombing , the people who had to do it under orders and ive with the memory of what they have done and also even though they were the enemy the victims.

well answered here agree also

[FGII-XR6]

A terrible thing but it needed to be done. the japs were never going to give in to conventional weapons and there would have been far mor fatalities if the 2 bombs were used. I just hope the world has learned the danger of using nukes and we never see one being used again.
there is a good chance Australia would have fallen to Japan if the war had continued as it was going so we would be living in a country full of 4Cylinder & rotary ricers (a fate to bad to contemplate )

[Fordman1]

The right thing....

Yes the prediction was in the order of 2 million US casualties if there had been an invasion of the Japanese home Islands.

The battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa are testiment to the horrific death toll 'X-Day' (which was the invasion code name) would have led to.

In fact the Atomic bombs may have actually saved several million Japanese lives (yes that sounds quite 'twisted') if the war had gone into 1946.

[Mickxr8]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

Geez...who left the opener out for this can of worms???

Controversial topics will always attract controversial answers.

haha well said

[SB076]

Originally Posted by Burnedout

Truman decided to use the bomb when he saw casualty assessments by planners for the invasion & conventional war on the Japanese mainland.

These casualty figures were in the order of 2million US casualties.

Plus I beleive it would have saved more Japanese lives with the way they fought over Iwo Jima and the like (no surrender - training of civilians etc.

Its a terrible thing to have to do but ulitmately I beleive it saved lives on both sides

I agree with BarraXR8 - remember watching a doco on how Japanese women would have been used (sacrificed) if US troops ever did land on the main land

[cob115]

count me in,it was the right thing

[HTCURRY]

You can rationalise and justify just about anything in war, just as long as you win. Winners get to write and tell history. We didnt get pummeled with atomic bombs, so of course we can discuss ethics and morals, and talk about not judging those had to make tough choices.

Ask the same question in a Japanese forum, and the votes would be 98% NO. All about perspective isnt it....

[RG]

This is Australian Ford Forums, not really an appropriate place for a discussion such as this.