No, I do not think that Truman was immoral. However, he had reason to weigh massive casualties, both American and Japanese, during an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, against the likely casualties resulting from the bombings. Okinawa had been fiercely contested, and on that basis, they estimated perhaps half a million fatalities, both American and Japanese, in the main invasion, many more non- fatal casualties. In this case, we have to be more discriminate. "Just War" doctrine calls for proportionality and the avoidance, insofar as possible, of civilian casualties.
Additionally, the climate is such that many willing to support us would turn against us, and many would take our behavior as license for lobbing bombs at one another, as in Pakistan and India.
It is true that there are important differences in firepower, but that mainly means that most missions can be accomplished without resort to nukes.
Weapons of mass destruction are not the best way to deal with a silent but deadly foe hiding among noncombatants....... |
