The alternative US landings on the Japanese home islands, which would have killed millions of Japanese and Americans, would have revolted Herbie’s soul even more.
“The alternative US landings on the Japanese home islands...”
This is how we shamelessly justify our behavior and self appointed role of World Police, going so far as to insist it is “exceptional”. Actually it is exceptional because no other country has ever done such a thing.
From the article I linked, and from just plain common sense.
“Within days of the Hiroshima bombing, David Lawrence, the editor of what is now “U.S. News & World Report,” wrote that Japanese surrender had appeared inevitable weeks before the bomb’s use. The claim of “military necessity,” he argued, rang hollow. Official justifications would “never erase from our minds the simple truth that we, of all civilized nations . . . did not hesitate to employ the most destructive weapon of all times indiscriminately against men, women and children.””
And they forget that even after the FIRST nuclear bombing, they refused to surrender.
Who needs to "defend" it? War is hell! Besides we need to use it in real world to study it. Tests are just tests! Why are the dumbest people always the ones to try to claim superiority to others\? Besides...I love big explosions...that's reason enough!!