I have interviewed dozens of WWII vets who served in the Pacific Theater and each one of them, without fail, has indicated that had the atomic bombs NOT been dropped they would not be there then to talk about their life experiences in the war. They knew the Japanese military and society were capable of tremendous levels of self-sacrifice (i.e sepuku whilst taking out an American GI) for the Emperor. They thanked the Air Force for dropping the bomb and for the Japanese for finally coming to their senses.
Let me pose a general question...
If the Japs had the bomb in 1945, do you think for a moment they would have hesitated using it on the US???
The Emperor should have been hanged with Tojo..
Son of a Flying Tiger who swept the Japs from Chinese airspace.