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The Pros And Cons Of Atomic Bombing

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On August 6th and 9th, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The bombings marked the first and only time nuclear weapons have been used in warfare, with an estimated total of 200,000 people killed as a result. While the bombings effectively brought World War II to an end, they remain a highly controversial moment in history, with many arguing that the bombings were unnecessary and even immoral. I firmly believe that we should not have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The reasons for my position are many, including the devastating death toll, the questionable decision-making of American officials, and the ultimately unnecessary nature of the attacks.One of …show more content…

While it is true that war inevitably involves killing, the use of atomic bombs was a step beyond what most people would consider acceptable. The fact that so many women, children, and elderly people died in the bombings is an especially important part of the equation. We should not be in the business of indiscriminately killing innocent people.In addition to the death toll, there are serious questions about the decision-making process that led to the bombings. While the official narrative at the time was that the bombings were necessary to bring an end to the war, historians have since pointed out that there were other options available that may have been less destructive. For example, some have argued that a naval blockade could have sufficed to bring Japan to its knees, without the need for atomic bombs. Moreover, it is important to point out that American officials knew that the Japanese were already on the verge of surrendering, even without the use of atomic weapons. It is not at all clear, therefore, that the bombings were a strategic necessity aimed at ending the war more

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