DamnYankee
Loyal to the end
People way more knowledgeable than me, in fact some great scientific and military minds, have disagreed with the bombings. I've read both sides of the issue and favor the anti-bombing position.
What's curious is how you and SM seem to take it as a personal affront that anybody could hold a different position on this than your own. You guys won! The bombs were dropped. Any discussion of it now is simply an academic exercise. Why are you two so bent over a differing opinion?
I find it especially strange that two people who have no problems talking about their strong religious beliefs haven't taken those beliefs into consideration when it came to using disproportionate force against a population. Are you at all familiar with Just War theory as moral theology plus military ethics, or is that simply an academic position with you (pl.)?
HIROSHIMA
WHO DISAGREED WITH THE ATOMIC BOMBING?
~~~DWIGHT EISENHOWER
~~~ADMIRAL WILLIAM D. LEAHY
~~~HERBERT HOOVER
~~~GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
~~~JOSEPH GREW (Under Sec. of State)
~~~JOHN McCLOY (Assistant Sec. of War)
~~RALPH BARD (Under Sec. of the Navy)
~~~LEWIS STRAUSS
~~~PAUL NITZE
~~~ALBERT EINSTEIN
~~~LEO SZILARD
~~~ELLIS ZACHARIAS
~~~GENERAL CARL "TOOEY" SPAATZ
~~~BRIGADIER GENERAL CARTER CLARKE
...July 1945 poll of 150 atomic scientists regarding whether and how the atomic bomb should be used in the war with Japan (Takaki 1995, 134-5). The poll gave five alternatives: (1) use in manner most effective from a military point of view to bring about prompt Japanese surrender while minimizing the loss of American lives, (2) give military demonstration to Japan with opportunity for surrender before full use of weapon, (3) give experimental demonstration in this country with opportunity for surrender before full use of weapon, (4) do not use militarily but make public the experimental results, or (5) maintain as secret as possible and refrain from using the bombs in the war. President Truman chose alternative 1, even though only 15 percent of the scientists supported it.
Takaki, Ronald. Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb.
Are you denying my assertion that it saved millions of Japanese lives?