Could you have pulled the lever that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan?

[Mike_Yates]

Let's say that you were alive during world war 2, could you have had it in you to pull the lever that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima or Nagasaki and vaporize 100,000+ people?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ocJss92vPV8/ToNX3LsSc5I/AAAAAAAADc8/zuc0JiJhMYs/s1600/hirosima.jpg

 

[Rachel_X]

No. I love Japan.

 

[removed9556]

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Yes, the bombs dropped on Japan ended the war and saved countless lives more lives than it cost.

But my perspective is that of a cold warrior who spent years ready to launch nuclear strikes at a moment's notice.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Yes.

Keep in mind that hindsight is 20-20.

Little was known about the bombs, the magnitude of their power, their very existence even. What was known was the ferocity and tenacity of the Japanese soldier who would sell his life in waves in bonsai attacks and kamikaze attacks. It was certain that our casualties and their casualties was going to be tremendous and expensive in lives lost and property destroyed. Now the pictures and the aftermath of those two cities was terrible, but it forced an end to the war and saved the rest of the island from near-certain destruction on just as massive a scale (keeping in mind that their cities were built of wood and any conflict was bound to torch them). Yes, the bombes were a horrible disaster for Japan, but knowing all that we knew at the time, it was the lesser evil for both sides.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

PS - let us never forget the fate of those poor souls, cities and countries that were conquered by Japan...



They should not be judged as pure and innocent victims of an atrocity; you reap what you sow.

 

[oggbashan]

Yes. The alternative was Operation Downfall (and others) to invade Japan's mainland islands, and Russia was advancing from the North.

Japan's forces would have defended to the last man.

A study done for Secretary of War Henry Stimson's staff by William Shockley estimated that conquering Japan would cost 1.7–4 million American casualties, including 400,000–800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities. The key assumption was large-scale participation by civilians in the defense of Japan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall

But the casualty rate on Okinawa suggested that the figures could have been much higher than Shockley's. He underestimated Japan's remaining forces as a third of what they actually were.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave the Japanese Emperor a chance to choose a way out with honor.

 

[susanne1987]

yup

At that time in history, the country was run by pure evil, I would have been happy if the Americans had blown japan of the map.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

As far as we knew, it was going to be about the same as the German cities we firebombed or the fire-bombing of Tokyo...


War is hell. If you do not treat it as such, it will drag on and on and on. Take Islam, for example, we keep acting as if taking the high ground is wining hearts and minds, but like vietnam, we see the American administration trying to quietly ramp up operations, sneaking "advisor's" to the front in an un-admitted admission that there hands-off approach was the wrong one. They blasted Bush for not sending in enough troops to immediately secure Iraq, acted like they had learned something and occupied the high ground, and then they turned right around and made the same damned mistake, only worse; they sent no one in.

 

[phrodeau]

Twenty-four million Americans did pull that lever.

http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/~EUAAOSwuYVWonj4/s-l225.jpg

 

[pointless]

well, i wasn't alive at the time so i suppose the only possible answer to the question as asked is no, i could not have done so.

 

[pensivepoet]

I would've called in sick that day and waited for the movie.
But I'm bettin that the first words out of the lever puller after the bomb landed was~
HOLY SHIT!

 

[Liar]

Are you sure it was a lever and not a button?

 

[pensivepoet]

Are you sure it was a lever and not a button?

I am in my mind.
I like levers, they're old school.

 

[Mike_Yates]

I don't think I would feel comfortable living the rest of my life knowing that I killed 100K+ people.

 

[pensivepoet]

I don't think I would feel comfortable living the rest of my life knowing that I killed 100K+ people.

Yeah, if there is a heaven, it'd look bad on the ol resume.
I think it would stand out.

 

[oggbashan]

The bombing of Tokyo by B29s probably killed more than at Hiroshima.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Tokyo

 

[RobDownSouth]

As far as we knew, it was going to be about the same as the German cities we firebombed or the fire-bombing of Tokyo...


War is hell. If you do not treat it as such, it will drag on and on and on. Take Islam, for example, we keep acting as if taking the high ground is wining hearts and minds, but like vietnam, we see the American administration trying to quietly ramp up operations, sneaking "advisor's" to the front in an un-admitted admission that there hands-off approach was the wrong one. They blasted Bush for not sending in enough troops to immediately secure Iraq, acted like they had learned something and occupied the high ground, and then they turned right around and made the same damned mistake, only worse; they sent no one in.

Islam is a country? Who knew?

 

[BotanyBoy]

Too easy.....

Say whatever you want about it but peace through superior firepower fuckin' works.....one way or another you'll get results.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Too easy.....

Say whatever you want about it but peace through superior firepower fuckin' works.....one way or another you'll get results.

Very true, but also remember that actions have consequences, and some folks have very long memories.

 

[M. Jordan]

I read once that only a small percentage of the fissile material in the second bomb did what it was supposed to do. Scary thought that it could have been much more destructive than is was.

 

[thør]

My t-shirt from the now defunct Warehouse Bar in Oak Ridge, TN has a picture of an a-bomb blast on the front and says, "Made in Oak Ridge, Tested in Japan." On the back is a photo of a biker riding a B-29 and he says, "Kerplooie!"

 

[M. Jordan]

My t-shirt from the now defunct Warehouse Bar in Oak Ridge, TN has a picture of an a-bomb blast on the front and says, "Made in Oak Ridge, Tested in Japan." On the back is a photo of a biker riding a B-29 and he says, "Kerplooie!"

Al la Dr. Strangelove?

 

[thør]

Al la Dr. Strangelove?

Not really.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Very true, but also remember that actions have consequences, and some folks have very long memories.

That's a pretty obvious thing.

I hope they do have very long memories. Between the cars, food and cute little trees I've grown rather fond of various aspects of Japanese culture and I'd hate to have to fuck them up like that again.