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On 70th Anniversary of Nagasaki Bombing, Atomic Debate Yields Little Consensus 70 Years After Nagasaki Bombing, Atomic Debate Yields Little Consensus
(2 days later)
Did the United States have to drop the bomb?Did the United States have to drop the bomb?
Seventy years after the United States launched the atomic age with attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, hastening the end of the war in the Pacific, The New York Times asked readers how they viewed the decision by President Harry S. Truman.Seventy years after the United States launched the atomic age with attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, hastening the end of the war in the Pacific, The New York Times asked readers how they viewed the decision by President Harry S. Truman.
At the time, Truman defended his decision to drop the bombs as the only way to avoid a full-scale invasion of Japan. That, arguably, would have cost more lives, American and Japanese, than the approximately 200,000 who died in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.At the time, Truman defended his decision to drop the bombs as the only way to avoid a full-scale invasion of Japan. That, arguably, would have cost more lives, American and Japanese, than the approximately 200,000 who died in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The anniversary of the Nagasaki attack will be commemorated at the city’s Peace Park on Sunday with a ceremony that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend.The anniversary of the Nagasaki attack will be commemorated at the city’s Peace Park on Sunday with a ceremony that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend.
Critics have contended that the Japanese were sending signals that they were prepared to surrender, but that these were either missed or ignored, and that the United States wanted to demonstrate to the world — particularly the Soviet Union — the awesome power it had at its disposal.Critics have contended that the Japanese were sending signals that they were prepared to surrender, but that these were either missed or ignored, and that the United States wanted to demonstrate to the world — particularly the Soviet Union — the awesome power it had at its disposal.
We received thousands of responses, including justifications, condemnations, indictments and explanations. And though the 70 years since the bombings have helped provide perspective — and more historical knowledge about what was happening at that time in the war — they have not yielded much consensus.We received thousands of responses, including justifications, condemnations, indictments and explanations. And though the 70 years since the bombings have helped provide perspective — and more historical knowledge about what was happening at that time in the war — they have not yielded much consensus.
Here are excerpts from selected responses, lightly edited for clarity.Here are excerpts from selected responses, lightly edited for clarity.