why wasn't the United States justified on using the atomic bomb?

Question

I need to know why we weren't justified. I've come up with plenty of reasons why it was.

Answer 1

I see a lot of answers that list "because the other people would have" frankly, the people who "would have" would also not have been justified.

Answer 2

The idea of the atomic bomb (although after the effect, in cold war planning) was that it would be of strategic use. That is, it should be used against industrial complexes, where the target would include a tank factory, a rail line, a good and integral communications junction, etc. That is, it was a super target, existing in a complex that would, if taken out, severly hamper the ability of the enemy to maintain normal and vigorous operations.

When used against the test cities, there were none of these things present--only minor provincial barracks with a small presence. The strategic use in this case was the true shock and awe--a diplomatic and psychological weapon, of one use only: the first use.

The operation targeted a civilian area with no intrinsic, native military purpose. It is perhaps reprehensible when we consider that we could have perhaps hit instead a military target. However this would not ensure that our planes would be able to make it to the area undamaged....

We hit them low. Real low.

Answer 3

I bought the dvd HIROSHIMA and saw both perspectives from the Japanese and Americans. It was justified in every way. It literally saved hundreds of thousands of Japanese and American lives.

The Japanese Emperor was not in control, the army was. The Warrior class thought it would be better for the entire nation to die than to admit defeat. They trained 9 y.o. girls to go into battle with bamboo sticks. This is how fanatical they were.

An American plan was drafted up to invade Japan and the estimated loss of life would have greatly exceeded those lost in the dropping of the bombs. The biggest fallacy in dropping the bombs is that we dropped them to get even for Pearl Harbor. Nothing is further from the truth. First, we got even at Truk lagoon. Second, we analyzed every possibility NOT TO DROP the bombs. Third, a full scale invasion of Japan would have wiped out virtually the entire Japanese race and devastated the ENTIRE country.

My father fought in WWII and served on the island in Tinian in the Pacific as a cryptographer. This is the same island they kept the bombs before dropping them on Japan and he walked by the pit they were kept in surrounded by guards every day.

I too have questioned the morality of dropping the bombs. I have read books on it. One of them called THE BELLS OF NAGISAKI by one of the victims who died of radiation poisoning told how horrific it was to witness. So, I have studied the facts and know what happened politically, militarily, and humanly. War is not pleasant but, sometimes people follow fools and do not have the courage to stand up to them. In such cases great suffering is inflicted. We need to pray.

I would like people to read 2 Thes. 2:1-10. We need to open our eyes and search for the truth in every thing.

Answer 4

If Germany had the bomb in 1945 and it wanted to end the war soon and dropped the bombs over New York and Los Angeles, can there be a justification?
If there is a 'justification' for such a genocide, I will have to redefine the words 'just' and 'justice'.
If bombing civilians to win a war is justifiable, please remember it is the same argument that al-Qaeeda has for 7/11.

Answer 5

Civillians. You aren't justified in killing civillians just because the other side "would have" (allegedly). Or for any other reason. Soldiers sign up and know what they're in for, I bet the school kids who burnt to death didn't have anything to do with Japan's war with the US, apart from being born in the wrong place.

Answer 6

The bomb Was used to end a war of attrition the Japanese would have use Atomics if they had developed it as fast as we did. There's no point in trying to mollify history.

Answer 7

If lets say the USA dropped this bomb on an Island at sea and let the Japs see the results as it happened would they have seen the light?

Answer 8

Who says we weren't? The US ended a war by doing something drastic. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few. Many more people would have died if this action wasn't taken.

Answer 9

The most frequent criticism is that the bomb killed so many civilians. Also questioned is dropping the second bomb and killing thousands more innocents.

Answer 10

Quite frankly I think it was justified.