The person responsible for the murder of innocent lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was President Truman. Japan's barbaric past acts neither justified the dropping of the bombs or made the Japanese govt. responsible for dropping the bombs. President Truman made the decision knowing Japan was on the verge of surrender, President Truman did not have to use the bombs. The Oped from the LA Times (see link below) points out a number of historical facts, including then General Eisenhower and several US generals advocating against the use of the bomb, the same General Eisenhower who went on to warn of the military industrial complex which is today's war profit machine (which partly explains so many conflicts around the world - war is profitable, peace is not - at least in the sense of making money). Lots of companies and arms dealers make billions with the war mongering, if only peace was as profitable. Unfortunately, more conflicts equals more profits, and the vast majority of citizens go along especially when war is cloaked in nationalism, jingoism, militarism and waving the flag.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-08-05/hiroshima-anniversary-japan-atomic-bombs Excerpt: "Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Henry “Hap” Arnold and Admirals William Leahy, Chester Nimitz, Ernest King, and William Halsey are on record stating that the atomic bombs were either militarily unnecessary, morally reprehensible, or both." By the way, the atom bomb was tested in July 1945, by which time WW II was over and Hitler had committed suicide in April 1945. Although President Truman may have been a racist, he did not have the bomb ready prior to the war being over to drop on Germany. Hence the statement that the bomb was dropped on Japan and not on Germany as evidence of Truman's racism does not hold. Best regards, George
