If the US had not nuked Japan, would they be more likely to have been used by now?

[fujiyama]

After going through a few threads regarding Tibbets' death, I was thinking - isn't it possible that if the US had not dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, that either the US or another nation would have used it later on - possibly not realizing the full horror and consequences of the weapon?

Is it more likely that thermonuclear weapons would have been used in the Cold War or after? After all, the nukes against Japan were being used to END a war so there is some justification (granted it's arguable that the Japanese government would have surrendered even otherwise). It is very well possible a nation would have used it in aggression later. The irony may be that the destruction caused may have averted other nations from using it since.

These are just a few random thoughts. I don't really want to cause a flame fest like these atomic bomb threads often do but I'd like to hear others' opinions on this.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Yes

And I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we will use them again... why? those who remember what they did.. are dying

For baby bush they are just a bigger bomb... and he ain't alome.

[fujiyama]

2. I'm afraid you are correct

There are a lot of people that just don't understand the destructive force - or are so ignorant of history they have no idea of the devastation and horrors caused.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Most americans are happily insulated from war, let alone nuclear war

and that is one thing that irks me since it makes war far easier to carry out

[rAVES]

4. every cloud has a silver lining

:sarcasm:

[Bobbieo]

5. The sad truth is after people knew the horrors

of nuclear radiation in Japan, our gov't and US corporations set off nuclear test bombs and set up uranium mining operations in the west without a thought of the consequences or telling people the truth about what was being done to them. Thousands of people died and are still dying from radiation posioning in our own country.

The price of uranium has sky rocketed and and the mining corps are all set to start the whole process all over again.

[rAVES]

6. I refuse to believe that they didnt forsee the fallout of the bomb prior to its use in ww2.