LogFAQs > #914102718

I think he's saying that the ultimate blame for the bombings lies with Japan. They started a war they couldn't win and are thus responsible for bringing it right to their doorsteps. It's a salient point. Consider this quote from Yamamoto prior to the start of the war:

Should hostilities once break out between Japan and the United States, it is not enough that we take Guam and the Philippines, nor even Hawaii and San Francisco. To make victory certain, we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House

The American press ate that quote up at the time as evidence of Japanese arrogance, but it was a word of caution directed at the Japanese government. From this quote, and others attributed to him, its clear Yamamoto saw that Japan was starting a fight that it was not capable of winning.

To the point at hand, its a question that can't really be answered as both sides have valid points. Yes, the bombings inflicted catastrophic casualties upon Japanese civilians and targeted them primarily. At the same time though, considering the circumstances, how could Truman and other American military leaders justify any other option? Imagine the blowback had it come out after the war that America might have been able to end the war quickly and decisively with practically no American casualties, but elected to invade instead resulting in the death or injury of hundreds of thousands of American servicemen?

As for Japanese readiness to surrender, they weren't prepared to surrender before Hiroshima nor after it. Witness accounts from cabinet meetings have stated that they believed the United States was bluffing when it said it had more atomic weapons ready in hand. The shattering of that belief, combined with a surprise invasion from the Soviet Union is what brought the war to its conclusion and even then there were those who resisted right to the end.
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Scoop #5: Borash tried to interview Bigfoot, but he ran away, Borash suggested if we dance hard enough he will come back