bombings on japan, were the really needed Options

[Mr. Psychotic]

do u guys think the 2 bombs dropped on japan during WW2 were really needed?
i say no because they just killed innoc3nt people in those 2 citys and it left a perment mental damage on my grandma (im japanese)
so what do u guys think

[EmeraldKnight]

QUOTE (winsome @ Jun 22 2004, 1:07 PM)
Of course there was tension between the Soviets and Americans at the time, Stalin had always been suspicious of his western allies, but the atomic bombs were dropped to get a surrender from the Japanese, not to stop the advance of Soviet allies. 


That's the part that I want to emphasize.

It was to get a surrender from the Japanese, but also to show the enemies and possible enemies that the US was not afraid to use WMD.

I agree with that.. but additionally, the atomic bombs were used because
a. it saved hundreds of thousands of US soldiers that would've died in a land invastion (millions of Japanese died in their place..)
b. by preventing a land invasion, the US also prevented Communism from spreading to Japan.. Communism spread to N Korea because the Soviets accepted the Japanese surrender there and were able to establish themselves.. the atomic bomb was a defense against communism as much as it was against the Japanese