If you’ve seen ChristoÂpher Nolan’s new OppenÂheimer film, you may want to turn your attenÂtion to anothÂer film, the 1965 docÂuÂmenÂtary called OppenÂheimer: The DeciÂsion to Drop the Bomb. With it, you can hear directÂly from J. Robert OppenÂheimer and othÂer archiÂtects of the first atomÂic bomb. Released on NBC News’ offiÂcial YouTube chanÂnel, the film capÂtures their reflecÂtions two decades after the bombÂing of HiroshiÂma and NagasaÂki. It also feaÂtures a coda by presÂiÂdenÂtial hisÂtoÂriÂan Michael Beschloss. As one YouTube comÂmenter put it, “This is someÂthing everyÂone should see. I was totalÂly engrossed and capÂtiÂvatÂed. HisÂtoÂry brought to life by the very peoÂple that were involved. Thank you NBC archives.” You can watch it above…
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There was no need to drop the atomÂic bomb on a EuroÂpean city. The War in Europe was over. GerÂman solÂdiers were surÂrenÂderÂing in droves.
ConÂtrast this with the last two major batÂtles in the PacifÂic. At Iwo Jima, 6,900 Marines were KIA. At OkiÂnawa, over 12,000 AmerÂiÂcan serÂviceÂmen were KIA. After both batÂtles just a handÂful of JapanÂese surÂrenÂdered.
The JapanÂese were not going to give up the fight. They were ready to die and they would have takÂen many AmerÂiÂcans with them.
I think this “racism” arguÂment is popÂpyÂcock.
japan would have nevÂer surÂrenÂdered –maybe all these woke idiots conÂsidÂer it racism but ask the mothÂers of the boys lost in war –what about what the japs did to pearl harÂbor –they were lucky we didÂn’t drop a third bomb as they were not ready to surÂrenÂder after the first drop —dec 7th 1941 –rememÂber that date
The JapanÂese were being bombed to oblivÂion. They knew there was no winÂning this war. They sigÂnaled that they were willÂing to surÂrenÂder as long as HiroÂhiÂto, who they conÂsidÂered to be God like, would not be harmed. TruÂman stuck by his unconÂdiÂtionÂal surÂrenÂder stance, so no deal was made. The bomb was then used.
Should have dropped the bomb much much earÂliÂer if they had it would have saved many more lives !
IF TRUMAN HAD RELENTED ON UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, AND LEFT THEM WITH THEIR EMPEROR JAPAN WOULD HAVE SURRENDED AND THE BOMB WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DROPPED. THE IRONY WAS THE LEFT HIROHITO AS EMPEROR AFTER THEY SURRENDED ANYWAY.
Had we not dropped the bombs on HiroshiÂma and NagasaÂki, there would have been unbeÂlievÂable casuÂalÂties on both sides. There would have been street-to-street, and house-to-house fightÂing as JapanÂese solÂdiers and civilÂians were preÂpared to fight to the death once U. S. troops invadÂed Japan.
We were forÂtuÂnate that Japan surÂrenÂdered after HiroshiÂma and NagasaÂki, for we only had 2 atom bombs in our arseÂnal!
A conÂserÂvÂaÂtive estiÂmate of the invaÂsion of Japan by AmerÂiÂcan forces is that 8 — 10 milÂlion JapanÂese perÂsons would have been killed and at least 800,000 AmerÂiÂcans. And Japan as a counÂtry and nation would have been comÂpleteÂly destroyed with no existÂing econÂoÂmy to grow from. MilÂiÂtarists still conÂtrolled the counÂtry and were urgÂing solÂdier and JapanÂese citÂiÂzen to die fightÂing. For those who still argue that the dropÂping of the atomÂic bombs were not necÂesÂsary, I ask them would they have been willÂing to perÂsonÂalÂly choose the 800,000 AmerÂiÂcan MothÂers who would loose their sons in invadÂing Japan.
Apart from the fact that the JapanÂese had been suing for peace and that the chiefs of staff said dropÂping the bomb would not give any milÂiÂtary advanÂtage, and apart from the fact that the so-called “strateÂgic bombÂing” was the greatÂest act of state terÂrorÂism in hisÂtoÂry (intenÂtionÂal tarÂgetÂing of civilÂian popÂuÂlaÂtions), the othÂer quesÂtion that is not posed is this docÂuÂmenÂtary is this: Why, espeÂcialÂly at the point where Japan was cripÂpled, was it thought necÂesÂsary to have a land invaÂsion at all? There was nothÂing more the JapanÂese army could do at that point. A conÂtinÂued siege would have accomÂplished an even more comÂplete vicÂtoÂry. ClearÂly, the bomb as dropped as a demonÂstraÂtion to StalÂin.
Dear Zinc, I don’t underÂstand why a land invaÂsion was even necÂesÂsary at that point. Also, the chiefs of staff all agreed that there was no milÂiÂtary advanÂtage to dropÂping the bomb. This myth perÂsists to hide the sad truth that the deciÂsion was made pureÂly in order to secure AmerÂiÂcan domÂiÂnance on the world stage (esp. vis a vis the USSR).
To counter the still domÂiÂnant myth jusÂtiÂfyÂing the use of the bomb, please read the folÂlowÂing:
A must read on the falÂsiÂty of the domÂiÂnant narÂraÂtive around the atomÂic bombÂing of Japan:
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020–08-05/hiroshima-anniversary-japan-atomic-bombshttps://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020–08-05/hiroshima-anniversary-japan-atomic-bombs
OpinÂion: U.S. leadÂers knew we didÂn’t have to drop atomÂic bombs on Japan to win the war. We did it anyÂway
We’ve been taught that the U.S. had to drop atomÂic bombs on Japan to end World War II. HisÂtorÂiÂcal eviÂdence shows Japan would have surÂrenÂdered anyÂway.
http://www.latimes.com
AmerÂiÂca, in short, was wagÂing war against Japan’s civilÂians. “The preÂponÂderÂant purÂpose appears to have been to secure the heavÂiÂest posÂsiÂble morale and shock effect by wideÂspread attack upon the JapanÂese civilÂian popÂuÂlaÂtion,” the StrateÂgic BombÂing SurÂvey conÂcludÂed. “CerÂtain of the cities attacked had virÂtuÂalÂly no indusÂtriÂal imporÂtance.”
https://www.salon.com/2022/10/30/when-we-criticize-in-ukraine-we-should-remember-the-bombing-of-tokyo/
When we critÂiÂcize RusÂsiÂa’s war crimes in Ukraine, we should rememÂber the bombÂing of Tokyo
Of course RusÂsia should be conÂdemned for tarÂgetÂing civilÂians. But the bruÂtal U.S. air war on Japan was much worse
http://www.salon.com
http://www.ditext.com/japan/napalm.html
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/09/dont-let-the-victors-define-morality-hiroshima-was-always-indefensible
Don’t let the vicÂtors define moralÂiÂty – HiroshiÂma was always indeÂfenÂsiÂble | Kenan Malik
The deciÂsion 75 years ago to use atomÂic bombs was fuelled not by stratÂeÂgy but by sheer inhuÂmanÂiÂty
http://www.theguardian.com
This series of interÂviews with EllsÂberg is, to my mind, essenÂtial eduÂcaÂtion, not only in terms of inteÂgratÂing the past, but of knowÂing what we still face. All of the episodes are worth watchÂing, but I recÂomÂmend that you at least watch this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwNRWcl5usQ
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The Largest Act of TerÂrorÂism in Human HisÂtoÂry — Daniel EllsÂberg on RAI (4/13)
http://www.youtube.com
The British bombÂing of HamÂburg in 1942, and the AmerÂiÂcan fireÂbombÂing of Japan in March 1945 that killed as many as 120,000 peoÂple in one night, creÂatÂed the conÂdiÂtions for the atomÂic bombÂing of HiroshiÂma and NagasaÂki which were conÂsidÂered mere extenÂsions of the fireÂbombÂing tacÂtics, says Daniel EllsÂberg on RealÂiÂty Asserts Itself with Paul Jay …
That James Byrnes was a segÂreÂgaÂtionÂist with respect to black peoÂple does not demonÂstrate, withÂout furÂther eviÂdence, any racial aniÂmus to Asians.
To me, it is more clear (then before watchÂing this docÂuÂmenÂtary) that the main reaÂson for dropÂping the bomb was to show it to SoviÂets.
Killing hunÂdreds thouÂsands JapanÂese was colÂlatÂerÂal damÂage. The HisÂtoÂry of a cold war and beyond — proves it.
And: The quesÂtion that was not menÂtioned on the end: Why NagasaÂki?