The Pros And Cons Of Atomic Bombing

Numerous countries today such as Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan continue to develop and test nuclear weapons. This race to develop nuclear weapons was started by the United States near the end of World War II. The U.S. used nuclear weapons in World War II to make the Japanese surrender. The Japanese surrendered five days after the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. Whether this bombing was justified is still debated today. Many people wonder about the future of the world as more powerful nuclear weapons are developed. The U.S. should learn from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and discontinue the development and production of nuclear weapons because the bombs will create unforeseen damage, prompt other countries to produce
nuclear weapons, and give the power of mass destruction to one person, the president, in war.
The testing of more powerful nuclear weapons will cause unforeseen damage.
After the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, about 70,000 people died in the initial blast. At the end of 1945, casualties reached over 100,000 because of radiation sickness. Five years later, casualties totaled to about 200,000 because of cancer and other diseases caused by the radiation from the blast (U.S. Department of Energy). Not only were the Japanese citizens in Hiroshima dying from the blast of the bomb, but also they were dying from radiation emitted from the bomb. The Japanese did not evacuate from Hiroshima because the effects of radiation were unknown which caused even greater deaths of Japanese citizens. The damage the atomic bomb would cause to the environment and to the Japanese people was not predicted. The development of more powerful nuclear weapons could unexpectedly cause immense damage to the world. While the weapons can bring unexpected damage they also prompt other countries to research and develop more powerful
weapons.
The development and production of more powerful nuclear weapons will provoke other countries to develop them as well.The week after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, issued a decree making the development of nuclear weapons the first priority ignoring the 25 million homeless citizens who were in need of financial assistance (PBS). Clearly, the U.S. intimidated the Soviet Union with the atomic bombing of Japan into developing nuclear weapons. Even today, Russia has the most amount of nuclear weapons with the U.S. following shortly behind. Currently, as the U.S. continues to develop nuclear weapons, so does the rest of the world. These countries do not want to be left behind in nuclear technology because they will also be left vulnerable to those countries who are in possession of nuclear weaponry. Soon enough, every country will have weapons capable of causing the destruction of the world. To prevent any country from gaining that power over the world, the U.S. should set an example for the world and stop developing more powerful nuclear weapons. Not only would the development of nuclear weapons cause other countries to increase their emphasis on developing nuclear weapons, but it would also put the power to destroy entire countries in one person’s hands.
The production of more powerful nuclear weapons puts the power of mass destruction in the president’s hands during war. Many top military leaders believed that the use of the bomb was excessive and was for the sake of showing off the power the U.S. had. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general at the time believed that, “Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary … our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives.” In addition, Army Air Force General Carl Spaatz says that, “That was purely a political decision, wasn't a military decision. The military man carries out the order of his political bosses." Furthermore, Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. stated that, “The first atomic bomb was an unnecessary experiment. . . . It was a mistake to ever drop it. . . . [the scientists] had this toy and they wanted to try it out, so they dropped it. . . .” Clearly President Truman went against the advice from his military officers. Military officers who have seen their comrades die at the hand of the Japanese were more sympathetic to their enemy than President Truman was. His decision to use the bomb was purely political, and he had the power to make that decision. As the weaponry made in the U.S. strengthens, the power it gives one man, the president, holds could one day destroy the world. Consequently, letting one person have control of the nation's armory of weapons of mass destruction is a recipe for disaster.
Some may think that the development of more powerful nuclear weapons will prevent war and bring peace upon the world.
No country will wage a war against a country with the power to destroy the world. They are clearly mistaken because soon countries will have developed weapons with this power. It is inevitable that the first country to reach this level of power will take advantage of it in order to fulfill all its needs. For example, the U.S. was the first country to develop an atomic bomb and the only country to ever use nuclear weapons in war (iCAN). The U.S. abused this power to provoke and prevent the Soviet Union from taking charge in Japan. The U.S. should try to prevent any country including themselves from reaching the level of power that allows them to destroy the
world.
In conclusion, the U.S. government should not allow scientists to continue developing nuclear weapons because the bombs will create unexpected damage, cause other countries to develop more nuclear weapons, and give the power to destroy entire nations to one person. This was foreshadowed by events that occurred at the end of World War II. Japan was severely damaged both environmentally and psychologically after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Furthermore, Stalin made the development of nuclear weapons first priority after learning that the U.S. had nuclear weapons. Lastly, President Truman went against his top military official’s advice to not use the atomic bomb on Japan. Rather than develop more nuclear weapons, perhaps the U.S. could work to make a pact with the rest of the world to stop the development and testing of nuclear weapons.