Use of nuclear weapons

[JewishPhysics]

I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds
I find the site of a nuclear explosion absolutely breath taking.  There is something beautiful about such raw and terrifying power.

I think that the use of the atomic bomb was most likely justified.  However, I find it odd that so much attention is paid to this specific event, and not some of the more horrendous atrocities carried out by the United States during WWII.

[More Celt Than Sassenach]

I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds
I find the site of a nuclear explosion absolutely breath taking.  There is something beautiful about such raw and terrifying power.

This is rather off topic but I do not think it is because they are powerful that they are beautiful. There seems to be something amazing about observing the principles that govern the universe in a particular instance. It could be watching a ripple of water, a raindrop, the movement of the planets or as mentioned here the explosion of a nuclear weapon.

[scourge]

We aren't able to recreate genuine stellar fusion at any scale, certainly not in our terrestrial environment. So no, the hydrogen bomb isn't a recreation of cosmic forces, but instead an extremely puny mimicry. Since the topic is about the atomic bomb, which entails a fission process, there really isn't much of any relation to stellar physics with the exceptions of resulting bright light and heated material.

[More Celt Than Sassenach]

Only I never said that a nuclear explosion was stellar nucleosynthesis in microcosm.

[Libido_Itch]

I think that the use of the atomic bomb was most likely justified.  However, I find it odd that so much attention is paid to this specific event, and not some of the more horrendous atrocities carried out by the United States during WWII.

I am curious to know some of these horrendous atrocities.  I know about the killings of German and Italian prisoners of war that is rarely ever mentioned in history books(unless it was done by the evil axis powers), I  have also read about mass rape in Okinawa, etc, but im sure thats not an atrocity to most and is 'just war'.

[JewishPhysics]

I am curious to know some of these horrendous atrocities.  I know about the killings of German and Italian prisoners of war that is rarely ever mentioned in history books(unless it was done by the evil axis powers), I  have also read about mass rape in Okinawa, etc, but im sure thats not an atrocity to most and is 'just war'.

The most obvious example would be the various fire bombing campaigns that took place (e.g. Dresden, Tokyo, etc.).  I suppose this is actually discussed quite a deal in academia, but among the public I almost never hear it mentioned.  The dropping of the atomic bombs is given some sort of special status.  Probably because everybody knows about it.

Whether these actions actually constitute atrocities is up for debate, I suppose.  However, just because someone believes atrocities are just part of war, doesn't make them less atrocious.

[Conservationist]

However, just because someone believes atrocities are just part of war, doesn't make them less atrocious.

The real issue is this:

If you go to war for moral reasons, you'd better act morally.

The Allies did not.

My Lai and Dresden are reminders that "we're the good guys" is a justication/rationalization, not a reason for going to war.

The real reasons for going to war are political and relate to the increase of power.

There were no good guys, and no winners, in WWII.

[NecronomiconMortis]

I was a good Hebrew killing thousands of persons(including women and children).




                                               

[ticino1]

Nuclear Weapons? They are toys for big ignorant kids. I am already many years ABC specialist in the army. Until now I couldn't find any positive side justifying A-weapons.

War should be fought man against man, not in rooms full of PCs and on long distances.

Terrifying is the fact, that Pakistan owns tons of atomic weapons, the leading politicians there are highly corrupt and the Talibans aim to get the power there. If Talibans get A-weapons in their hands, we can forget our already weak world order.