[ RadSafe ] RE: [AMRSO] On This Day( NY Times) - Observationof Moment of Silence

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

"According to most historians, as far as I know, the dropping of the A
bombs on J is today considered as the initial shot of the Cold War,
politically targeted against the SU, only physically Japan was chosen,
for various reasons:
- it was easy to justify (this works until today obviously), because J
at that time was a criminal, genocidal regime;
- the US & Allies in the Pac. war have suffered heavy losses against J,
so this was, to many in the West, a kind of fair revenge;
- the Japanese as such were systematically de-humanized by US propaganda
during the war (as unfortunately it happens so often in wars), so moral
doubts could be anticipated to be no major factor;
- it had to be shown to the SU that J belongs to the US-sphere."

Those were recognized factor, but I see no reason to believe the bombs
wouldn't have been dropped, even if the Soviet Union had no expansionist
plans, of even if it was a democracy.  We were at war with Japan, and we
had a weapon that had the potential for ending the war.  That was the
deciding factor; everything else was secondary.

"In fact, J was about to capitulate at that time, it was merely a matter
of formalities and negotiations. And then, even if one believes that the
first bomb was necessary, what about the second only 3 days later
without letting them due time to react ?"

Japan was nothing like "about to capitulate".  There were a fair number
within the government that wanted to negotiate an end to the War,
perhaps using Stalin as an intermediary, but they planned on retaining
control of everything they held at that time (China, Korea, Southeast
Asia, etc).  They were not in control, however, and those who were
planned to fight on.  Indeed, even after the bombs, there were people in
the Government who tried to stage a coup, so they could reject the
Emperor's surrender and fight on.  

As to the necessity and timing of the second bomb; harder call, but
given that the Americans knew at the time, I can see why they did it.
The quarterbacking is always easier Monday morning around the water
cooler than it is on the field during the game.