Hiroshima mayor hopes next U.S. president will back ban on nuclear weapons

Wednesday 06th August, 12:54 PM JST

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medievaltimes at 09:26 AM JST - 7th August

A few points.

A world ban on nuclear weapons would be wonderful...but its naive and not realistic.

I think there is something to be said for nuclear weapons as a deterrent. After all, today Japan constantly voices opposition to nuclear weapons and calls for world peace. I dont think they would have that stance today unless two nuclear bombs were dropped on them.

Doesnt Japan possess nuclear weapons now? The U.S. militarily protects Japan. A nuclear capable U.S. military ship/sub can be off Japans coast by 50 miles. Sure its not in Japan, but come on. Who do they think they are fooling?

If I were Japanese, I would be bitter towards the U.S. However, I would also be angry with the Japanese government for waiting so long to surrender. Was it really necessary for TWO bombs to be dropped before surrender?

Japan took to conscripting civilians into military service, even school children. Wouldnt that make civilians legitimate targets?

The bombs saved not only U.S. lives but also Japanese lives. A mainland invasion would have killed more Japanese people than the bombs did.

The bushido code of no surrender and civilians taking up arms is a great way to win a war...IF you win. If you lose, you lose big time.
bibric at 09:30 AM JST - 7th August

What a non-sense!

Nuclear weapon was used to collapse and ban the Japanese militarism!
TheCode at 12:52 PM JST - 7th August

TheNoSpinZone:

The US must have weapons, as it is the worlds protector. The evil ones will not give up their weapons. If the US gave up its weapons, a country like Iran would attack us without hesitation.

Thanks for your post. I have just a couple of questions: Who made the U.S., the world's protector? And by "evil ones", who do you mean, and who is to judge are the "evil ones"? Yes, George Bush declared Iran, Iraq, and North Korea a part of the axis of evil, but why did he only decide to claim that Iraq owned weapons of mass destruction (and thus invaded it), but not Iran and North Korea? It just doesn't seem rational thinking, when fewer than 13 percent of Americans can locate Iraq on a map, and less can do so with Afghanistan.
presto345 at 01:41 PM JST - 7th August

What a non-sense! Nuclear weapon was used to collapse and ban the Japanese militarism!

Uhhh...It was a nuclear experiment with live, civilian targets whose outcome served multiple purposes which pleased militarism on the other side of the ocean.
YangYong at 01:37 PM JST - 8th August

DS; Do you actaully do any thnking for yourself, can't you figure out a game plan? Jeez louise! OK, I'll feed you one:

A-san: Hey, what's that? B-san: It's a leaflet from the American planes, says, 'Watch Fuji-san on August 6th' for a demonstration of some new kind of weapon...

See where it's going?
teaabe at 09:54 AM JST - 9th August

asking the us to give up nuclear weapons is the same thing as asking them to bring back the dead from hiro and naga. isn't going to happen.
koroke at 11:10 PM JST - 10th August

get over banning nukes, countries will hide the nukes to use for "defenses" if not then the extremists will have their hands on it. sigh....hiroshima and nakashima just the beginning. when the next nukes goes off, just duck under the tables.
lipscombe at 11:16 PM JST - 10th August

any country that 'bans' nuclear weapons will just keep them hidden, its the way it is.
Japanophile1 at 11:17 PM JST - 10th August

rajakumar at 01:55 AM JST - 7th August Nuke weapons nations must take measures to ensure peaceful politics for world via constant peace dialogues/peace conference.

To quote Albert Einstein, "One cannot simultaneously prepare for war and peace."
theneworder666 at 11:08 PM JST - 11th August

no US president would want to ban nukes. They deter rogue states such as Iran from launching attacks.

Saddam, may have attacked the US, if there was not a threat of nuclear defence from the US. We live in a highly militirised world, nuclear weapns are the bes t way to maintain peace.
cleo at 11:17 PM JST - 11th August

Saddam, may have attacked the US, if there was not a threat of nuclear defence from the US

Using what? Those balsawood-and-duct tape drones he was developing?

nuclear weapns are the bes t way to maintain peace

Which is why little countries that feel (or imagine they feel) the eagle's breath on their necks want to have them. Iraq didn't have them; they got attacked. NK does have them; they got the softly-softly-let's-talk-about-it approach.

It's a simple lesson.
theneworder666 at 11:25 PM JST - 11th August

Iraq had many secret military programmes. These have not been revealed to the public, due to thir top secret nature. Saddam was capable of alunching a huge attack on the US mainland. Iran is able now to lauch a massive offensive. The reason it does not, is the knowledge that they will be nuked.
DS at 10:49 PM JST - 12th August

> DS; Do you actaully do any thnking for yourself, can't you figure out a game plan? Jeez louise! OK, I'll feed you one:

A-san: Hey, what's that? B-san: It's a leaflet from the American planes, says, 'Watch Fuji-san on August 6th' for a demonstration of some new kind of weapon...

See where it's going?

> YY;

You forgot the part where B-san says, "Yes, I saw the leaflet. So did the commander of the Japanese Air Force. I'm sure they will give the Yankee devils a WARM Fuji-style welcome when they come on the 6th"....

The "demonstration bomb" theory is one of the weakest around. You forget that the U S had only 2 atomic weapons available. It would have been stupid to waste one on a demonstration that may not even be seen by anyone, and which may not show the actual power of the weapon.

Any more bright ideas on how the war could have been won?
YangYong at 08:12 PM JST - 23rd September

You forget no one in Japan knew they had two weapons, dear.
YangYong at 08:26 PM JST - 23rd September

Wait a minute... so daft was what you wrote 'Japanese Air-force' that it didn't register, LOL, but YOU did write tha'? Err, son, WHAT Japanese Air-Force? Anyway, the US Govt's archives from first hand witness testament and such-like do it for me.