(December 7, 2013 at 8:40 pm)I and I Wrote: If the claim is... Using nukes were necessary to win the war" then evidence would be needed to back that claim up. Evidence from top military leaders at the time would be nice because it would show that using them was a tactical necessity to win the war. A president that has no knowledge of military tactics stating that it was necessary doesn't count as evidence that it was necessary.
No, I don't know for certain that using nukes was necessary to win the war. In fact, I'd be willing to bet we didn't. I also know that nuclear weapons were new enough at the time that nobody really knew how destructive they would be, especiall the after effects (radiation, fall-out, ect).
I'm also aware that nobody knew how much damage it would cause to end the war without using nukes or how many people would die. The bombings killed about 250,000 people. Do you know if it would have caused more deaths to not use nukes and invade Japan? If it had caused 300,000 deaths to invade, would we now turn around and say "we should have used the nukes?" How about 400,000? How many more lives are worth not using nuclear weapons?
Quote: Where are these high ranking military leaders at that time that believed using nukes was necessary? Either you have evidence or you don't.
Pretty much every history book I've ever read on the subject says that it was a difficult decision, filled with what were, at that time, unknowns. The exact names of military leaders aren't that important.
Quote: Again, what would you consider evidence to satisfy you that the US used nukes on Iraq?
How about a reputable source that says we did or evidence that we've used them?
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"If you cling to something as the absolute truth and you are caught in it, when the truth comes in person to knock on your door you will refuse to let it in." ~ Siddhartha Gautama
"If you cling to something as the absolute truth and you are caught in it, when the truth comes in person to knock on your door you will refuse to let it in." ~ Siddhartha Gautama