Re: [Fwd: Re: abombs]

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 11:29 04.08.2000 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: Re: abombs
>Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 10:42:31 -0400
>From: Norman & Karen Cohen <norco@bellatlantic.net>
>To: William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>
>References: <3989FFD0.334B8307@bellatlantic.net>
><398AA229.A69C67AF@dteenergy.com>
>
>no problem, go ahead.
>
>...
>
>norm

I deeply regret that nuclear bombs were exploded above Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. I do not want to repeat all the well known stories about
surrender of Japan, I do not want to repeat all these discussions about the
role of the military in pressing the decisions to drop the bombs. I have
been deeply touched when I visited a few years ago the sites in Hiroshima
and the museum there. I have been similarily touched, when visiting the
sites in Dresden, destroyed by bombs. I take the conclusion that the
destruction of the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were similar
to the destruction caused on many other cities with conventional warfare.
One difference was, that the development of the bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki was by far more expensive. One cannot justify such terrible costs
without using the devices constructed. In my opinion this was the most
important reason why they were dropped. Many historians say that Japan was
to surrender, many say that the Sovjetunion did not forward the wish of
Japan to finish the war. I cannot judge it, because I was at that time less
than one year old and I have to rely on reports from historians - which are
contradictory of course. I suppose that nobody of the public had the
slightest idea, what was going on at the diplomatic level. 

But I have to consider the atrocities and the cruelties which have been
committed during the war on all sides. I read the numbers of killed
soldiers and killed population in Germany, in Russia, in France, in Japan
without the Hiroshima and Nagasaki casualities, in Mandschuria, in Korea
and in many other areas. They are really hugh, compared with the
casualities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bombs seem to me to be
just another method of mass destruction, which could even cheaper be done
by conventional warfare, like bombs and artillery. 

Therefore I advocate, not to take the nuclear warfare in Japan as a very
special case. It was just another way of mass extinction. I do not want to
discuss the justification of this action. Nevertheless it has been a
justified symbol of possible warfare "in the future". If this threat was a
reason for disarmament, I would consider this as positive. 

Since questions like this is in my opinion an integral part of the scope of
RADSAFE, not only to discuss the question of who can provide this
instrument and who interprets what, I recommend to go on with discussions
about the consequences of our work in radiation protection, radiation
surveillance and the impact of our profession to sociological,
psychological and political questions and the question of how to distribute
our opinions to the public. 

At first glance I thought that Norman Cohen would be able to liven up the
discussion on ethical questions, but I have been deeply disappointed. Has
his opinion changed?



Regards,

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Please note my new telephone number at my office!

Office:
Ministerialrat Dr. Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management
Radiation Protection Department (BMLFUW I/8 U)
Radetzkystr. 2
A-1031 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-71100-4458
fax: -43-1-7122331

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