Did we see the first & last use of the Nuclear bomb 62 years ago at Hiroshima & Nagasaki?

Question

Great Forumites as we appraoch the 62nd rememberance of the first use of of the nuclear bomb, can we say that it will never be dropped on any soil again. Keep in mind the recent threat of Iran. Keep in mind the recent tension between presidents Bush & Puttin over the Missile Defence Shield.

America came close to using it during the recent Iraqi war with the coalition forces. War analysts believe that President Bush made a "covert" expression of that possibility when he warned serious consequences should late President Saddam and his men use biological & chemical weapon on the allied forces.

Incidentally, though the Pearl Harbour disaster that triggered off the use of "little boy" and "fat man" seems less provocating than the incident of 9 11, America did not use the nuke. Possibly because Bin Laden and his men are "army without territory" unlike Japan.

So, can we say that the stockpiles of the nuclear arsenal in the silos of the world are just there for detterence?

Answer 1

Pastor,

If the United States had had a nuclear arsenal in Dec, 1941, you can bet the pulpit that Jimmy Doolittle's B-25's would have been loaded with atomic bombs, and not incendiaries when he made his Tokyo Raid.

I hope and pray that there is never another military use of atomic weapons. But I fear that prayer is in vain. I'd not be surprised at a nuclear devise being exploded in an American city in the next few years.

You spoke of the possibility of nuclear weapons use in Iraq. What choice would we have had in the event Hussein used bio-chemical weapons? We've destroyed our own bio-chemical weapons and have signed treaties promising never again to use such weapons. So our only effective response to such attacks will be nuclear weapons.

While I hope the nuclear genie can be kept in it's bottle, I'd much rather see the USA use nuclear weapons than to be on the receiving end of a nuclear attack.

Doc

Answer 2

As some have pointed out, there is a real danger that the U.S. government could use nuclear weapons against Iran. Another threat to consider is in Southeast Asia. Both Pakistan and India have nuclear weapons, and they don't like each other very much. Add to this that the Pakistani government is not very stable. There's no telling what a more extreme regime could do with those weapons.

These terrible weapons have been produced by governments for those governments' own ends. I think that the traditional U.S. political model that attempted to limit government power had it right. How have we come so far from that model???

Answer 3

First of all, it has been the policy of the United States since the 1960's that any use of Weapons of Mass Destruction on America or American interests will be dealt with in kind. Therefore, it wasn't some covert reference the President made when talking about a foriegn power using WMD's--he was stating the same policy every American President has backed since the middle of the last century. No cowboy there--that is US Policy. Secondly--the two bombs were not dropped in retaliation for Pearl Harbor--Operation Olympus and Operation Coronet --the invasion of mainland Japan--was expected to cost conservatively 300,000 American casulties alone. Allied and enemy war dead from those invasions of the Japanese homeland-figure 1.5 million by the time it was done. Use of those two weapons demonstrated that Japan had no chance of resistance--and shortened the war and saved lives. Those weapons were used not for retaliation but to shorten the war and reduce allied casulties.
Instead of beating on the USA--the rest of the world really should thank the country that rebuilt Europe and Japan out of its own pocket after WWII, stopped Soviet advancement into Europe, and had WMD's and did not use them for conquest--but for peace.

Answer 4

The first and last for the good of mankind.
With the Liberation of Freedom for the blunders and slip-ups with human errors of world war two.
With landmark being left behind in Russia for the good of mankind as a reminder out there.
Luke 8.10

Answer 5

Nukes haven't been used in anger yet.
That was an atom bomb(fission).
There wouldn't anything left if we had a full scale thermo nuclear war.

Answer 6

No, you'll see it again when the Third World develops nukes, cannot secure their own stockpile, and a few weapons end up in the wrong hands.

Answer 7

I sincerely hope and pray that good sense will ultimately prevail, and nuclear weapons will become an oddity in human history, and so will cigarettes.

Answer 8

I pray we never use them again.I wish all would be destroyed world wide.It does nothing to concur with out killing many of our own soldiers and innocent people.
Sweetpea.there have been no atomic bombings since WW11.

Answer 9

Those were Atomic Bombs.