America cheered because America had been anticipating another year's worth of bloodbaths and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American troops in an effort to take Japan inch by inch, with an opposition that would fight to the last man, the way they did at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. There was a strong element of racism as well, but on the other hand Dresden and Tokyo got pretty much the same treatment (overwhelming civilian deaths due to firebombing). The unexpectedly early end to the war seemed practically miraculous.
Posted by Joe Buck at August 6, 2005 11:07 AMJoe Buck - that is how dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were rationalized. No question that it sped up Japan's surrender. But a wiser leader might have found a way to get there without incinerating 140,000+ civilians. The problem with this rationalization is that it can be used for any war we're engaged in. The rightwing in this country was calling for nuking Vietnam early in that war. And those voices aren't silent today.
Posted by Marie at August 6, 2005 11:18 AM