In a message dated 11/24/01 12:51:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ddraig@pobox.com writes: This is all very well and good but does not explain
why it was not exploded over Tokyo Bay, which was considered at the time, but
instead over populated cities. Also, the "we will be forced to invade Japan"
story is by no means certain, there is every reason to believe that
capitulation was in the offing.
I suppose people that like to theorise will chew on this one for
years. After all is there anything so much fun as arguing a point of view
that requires ones opponent to prove a negative?
However, I lived through that time, I wasn't Truman's confidant but my
take is that the weapon wasn't proven to be reliable enough to chance a
"demonstration, the million American casualties was logical to be believable
except to armchair theorists, it had been a hard fought war with little
humanity shown us and our loved ones were still in danger if we attemted an
invasion so we bombed them without thought of mercy.
I think there is a story about Truman that sums it all up. Someone
asked Truman how long he considered his decision before deciding to bomb. He
is supposed to have indicated that his decision was almost instantaneous. It
had been that kind of war.
Ron h.
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