Eighty Years After the Atomic Bombs, by JD Breen

Using the much more powerful hydrogen bombs in this day and age would insanity, but a number of military and political figures have floated the possibility. From JD Breen at jdbreen.substack.com:

With unconscionable carnage and up to 85M deaths, the Second World War was the greatest catastrophe in history. In a sense, the atomic bombs were an apt climax to that orgy of butchery.

Enola Gay flying away from the atomic blast over Hiroshima (Getty Images)

Atlanta, GA

August 6, 2025

“It will not be long before we are reduced to savagery. We are the barbarians within our own empire.”

—Russell Kirk

Eighty years ago, the U.S. government committed one of the awful acts in human history. Three days later, it did it again.

Harry Truman insisted the decision to vaporize or fatally irradiate almost a quarter million civilians (plus a dozen American prisoners of war) was his and his alone.

Whether meant as acknowledgment or confession, this assertion was correct. The buck stopped with him. It was Harry Truman who (literally) “gave ‘em Hell”.

The president assured the world (and presumably his conscience) that he had no choice. Proud and stubborn, the Japanese would never surrender. Nuclear weapons were the only way to end the war.

In a sense, like an abortionist convincing himself his victims aren’t really human, Truman had to believe that. Otherwise, what would his actions say about him?

Most Americans seemed to accept his argument. Retroactive propaganda argued the destruction of two sizable cities saved up to “a million lives” that would’ve been lost by invading the islands. Besides, “the Japs” had it coming for bombing Pearl Harbor!

OK. But which “Japs”?

Leave aside FDR’s pre-war actions intended to entice a Japanese attack. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were filled with half a million civilians who had no say in what their government did. Were those “the Japs” who had it coming? Why?

Continue reading