As it was taught to me we had a few choices:
1. Starve out the Japs. This would have taken a long time, and cost millions of Jap lives—mostly women and children. It would have been impossible to govern them after capitulation.
2. Invade. This would have cost millions of Jap lives and millions of American/Allied lives. The end result would have been years more of war that would bankrupt us and allow the Russians to move into the East. Governing after the war was over would be near impossible due to deep hatred of each other.
3. Drop the bomb. It cost tens of thousands of Jap lives. It left the country devastated, but rebuild-able. The people were in such awe that capitulation followed and the Japanese people were much more governable. It also halted Russian intentions in the East (Korea, China, etc.). Obviously it allowed us to move forward quickly and with minimal loss of American life and military material.
Seems to me that all of the equations for life, politics, and strategic action pointed to the Bomb as the best alternative.
I really don’t understand why this becomes so difficult for people today to grasp.
The SECOND one finally got their attention!