3min snip

Making Sense with Sam Harris cover image

#330 — The Doomsday Machine

Making Sense with Sam Harris

NOTE

Reconsidering the Necessity of Dropping Atomic Bombs on Japan

The film depicts an outdated version of history, while recent historiography reveals that the use of nuclear weapons was not a well-considered strategic decision. The Truman administration framed the use of the bomb as necessary, but in reality, the debate was whether to use the bomb and invade or not. Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were prepared for use, and the second bomb was dropped just three days after the first, without proper consideration. The rationale behind it may have been to signal a large arsenal of weapons, but the Japanese were still processing the first bomb's impact. Truman knew that the Soviet Union's entry into the war would spell the end for Japan, and he wanted to demonstrate the bomb's power to shape the post-war balance. The bomb was used to ensure Japan's unconditional surrender without invading its home islands, but the true outcome of not using the weapons remains unknown, although the consequences of their use were devastating.

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