Hiroshima...The Gift That Keeps On Giving?

Paranoia Strikes Deep

sixty years ago this saturday--august 6, 1945--the first atomic bomb ever used as a weapon of war exploded about 2000' above the city of hiroshima, japan. 

in an instant, the city was flattened; 80,000 of the estimated 250,000 people located there were killed instantly.  another 60,000 would eventually fall victim to radiation produced by the bomb.

three days later, a similar bomb was exploded over the japanese city of nagasaki.

at the time, the usa was the only nation on earth to construct atomic weaponry.  20 years later, the world was divided into two major geopolitical factions, both of which had much more powerful and sophisticated nuclear devices.  there were also several nations capable and willing to build their own atomic weapons.  45 years later, one of the two factions began crumbling into oblivion.  still other nations were determined to possess nuclear bombs.  60 years later, 9 nations now possess nuclear weapons.

so far, somehow, mankind has managed to avoid using another one  of these weapons.

as more nations--as well as groups of seemingly apocalyptic terrorists--seek to possess them--we come ever closer to the day when the next nuclear device is used to wreak the horror of instant mass destruction somewhere in the world.  we're as likely target as any other people or place.

terrorists--whether domestic or foreign--have demonstrated a penchant for action on dates of historical relevance.

the murrah federal building was bombed on april 19 for example;  april 19 being both  the day our revolution began when  minutemen first attacked colonial britain.  it's also the anniversary of the destruction of the self-styled lamb of god, david koresh and a great many of his followers.  

september 11 marked the 79th anniversary of the british mandate in palestine.

i could be just paranoid...or perhaps i'm reading too much into this, but i can't think of a more auspicious and relevant date than august 6 for al-quaeda or some similar group to try and bring it all back home to us. 

11,579 views 33 replies
Reply #1 Top
a 20 megaton bump
Reply #2 Top
I wonder if any of the geniuses that make the terrorist groups have even thought about that fact, AMERICA has bombs and if pushed is willing to use them.

WE could rename the middle east to Glassland, a little dye in the nukes and we have multi colored glass.
Reply #3 Top

Forty years ago this saturday--august 6, 1945--the first atomic bomb ever used as a weapon of war exploded about 2000' above the city of hiroshima, japan. 

I think your math is a tad off.  Maybe 60 years ago?

And you bring up a scary thought.  Except 9-11 was only 9-11 because we arrested one of the hijackers and they were afraid he would talk.  From what we have learned, it was supposed to be a bigger event.

Still, it is scary.

Reply #4 Top
Into your life it will creep.
Reply #5 Top

AMERICA has bombs and if pushed is willing to use them.

everyone in the world knows we have nukes and may use them. 

it was surely a major factor in north korea's determination to acquire the technology just as pakistan was motivated by the development of india's bomb.  india claims it was driven to become a nuclear power by china.  china was driven to create its bomb by russia and the us.   the uk developed it's bomb to scare off the soviet union which built its first bomb to even the fighting field with the usa.  if iran is developing nuclear weapons, it surely feels it's been pushed to do so by israel.  the french built its bomb because all the other kids were doing it.

ya gotta wonder whether and how much guaranteed retaliation deters people who consider blowing themselves up a faith-based initiative.

Reply #6 Top

I think your math is a tad off. Maybe 60 years ago

oooops.  thanks.  i've changed it as well as the other arithmetic error relating to a different date.   if i only hadda computer dammit.  

Reply #7 Top
Into your life it will creep.
blues jumped up a rabbit, rabbit run a quarter mile

yes de blues jumped up a rabbit, rabbit run a quarter, quarter mile

poor lil furry bunny, you know it scared jus like a baby child. (and if you aint scared, you aint right) ---taj mahal

Reply #8 Top

the french built its bomb because all the other kids were doing it.

Yea, but will theirs work?

Reply #9 Top
i dunno. I tend to think they have a "hands off" policy at this point in the US. I expect two or three more major attacks in Europe, and then I think we will start being in real danger here in the run-up to the next election in 2008.

That is, unless some sort of serious conflict breaks out that they have to make a statement about, like, oh, Israel destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities. At that point all bets would be off, I think.
Reply #10 Top
I tend to think they have a "hands off" policy at this point in the US. I expect two or three more major attacks in Europe, and then I think we will start being in real danger here in the run-up to the next election in 2008


i truly hope you're right (about the 'hands off' thing at least--i dont wanna see major attacks anywhere). i realize it may seem as if i'm paranoid. it's just that symbolism (targets, dates, actions) is, of necessity i guess, such an important factor especially for groups like al quaeda.
Reply #11 Top
Yea, but will theirs work?


at least as well as a peugot?
Reply #12 Top
I think it is more of a concerted effort to build an eventually fulfilled dread. We sit and watch attacks in Europe and elsewhere, dreading it happening here. Then, when it can have the most effect on the next election, without being "resolved" in time, they strike.

It could be, though, that they have seen since 9-11 that we don' react the same way that many Europeans react, at least in numbers great enough to advance their cause politically. For a long time after 9-11 even the most political in the US were hesitant to be "soft" on terrorism, or adopt a "Let's not antagonize them" stance. Perhaps there's a social dynamic here that they can't manipulate in the same way.

I tend to oversimply things. There's no telling what will happen, or if what happens will be based on some sort of agenda. A lot of this kind of speculation is just a need to make sense of it all, to make it predictable. If anything, it's proven to be the opposite.
Reply #13 Top
ya gotta wonder whether and how much guaranteed retaliation deters people who consider blowing themselves up a faith-based initiative.


Probably quite a bit since they know that if we do it, there won't be anyone left over there to carry on. They "may be" ignorant. But STUPID they ain't!
Reply #14 Top
Probably quite a bit since they know that if we do it, there won't be anyone left over there to carry on. They "may be" ignorant. But STUPID they ain't!


it's not a question of ignorance or stupidity. if you truly believe those who are martyred get to use the diamond lane to an eternity in paradise, why fear death for you & yours? more importantly, why concern yourself with what happens in this existence since no matter how good it gets, it can't be but imperfect? if the world ends tonite, the conflict ends with it. those who are favored get their reward; the others are doomed for infinity.
Reply #15 Top
i recently saw a documentary made in iran several years ago. there are thousands if not 10s of thousands of mausoleum-type memorials to the 100,000 iranian troops who are considered martyrs because they died fighting iraq in the 80s. everyone interviewed in those scenes expressed an eager willingness to become martyrs themselves.
Reply #16 Top
It could be, though, that they have seen since 9-11 that we don' react the same way that many Europeans react...

Does that include the Europeans in London?

I tend to oversimply things.

I think we've all done that at times. I'm not just nit-picking. I have a problem with yet another 'them' and 'us' developing between the US and Europe.
Reply #17 Top
That was why I used the word "many". There were people who reacted that way in London, as evidenced by some of the comments made, but probably around as many as we have here.
Reply #18 Top
but probably around as many as we have here


Yes, I think that's the truth of the matter.
Reply #19 Top
Probably quite a bit since they know that if we do it, there won't be anyone left over there to carry on. They "may be" ignorant. But STUPID they ain't!


it's not a question of ignorance or stupidity. if you truly believe those who are martyred get to use the diamond lane to an eternity in paradise, why fear death for you & yours? more importantly, why concern yourself with what happens in this existence since no matter how good it gets, it can't be but imperfect? if the world ends tonite, the conflict ends with it. those who are favored get their reward; the others are doomed for infinity.


Mainly because they're in this to win? At least in their eyes. And "you and yours"? When your talking nuke in a "small" country there ain't no you and yours , it's "EVERYONE"! Not everyone is interested in becoming martyred!
Reply #20 Top
"Mainly because they're in this to win?"


If that were true, it wouldn't be so bad. In reality terrorism is a major world business, generating untold wealth in donations, arms sales, drugs, etc. The last thing these people want is peace, whether it be Islamic or any other flavor.
Reply #21 Top
If that were true, it wouldn't be so bad. In reality terrorism is a major world business, generating untold wealth in donations, arms sales, drugs, etc. The last thing these people want is peace, whether it be Islamic or any other flavor.


Maybe I didn't state my opinion plain enough. When I say "win"....they see anything where we (US) lose as a win for them. Hence the comment.
Reply #22 Top
Fortunately you were wrong..probably because the Japanese no longer have evil intentions against us. They are however in danger of fostering such feelings, with their rewriting of the textbooks to gloss over the atrocities committed by their armies. They point out that other colonising powers do the same thing. That is true, and they are criticised for it. This does not change what the Japanese are doing. Full commendation to the way the Germans still deal with their dark past.
Reply #23 Top
september 11 marked the 79th anniversary of the british mandate in palestine.


It was also the 28th anniversary of the overthrow and death of Salvador Allende, a democratically elected socialist President in Chile (and one of my favorite world leaders) in a US-supported coup.
Reply #24 Top
LOL, love how you use the word "US_supported" there, as if that really means much. We've been down the Allende path before. As with other historical figures "Democratically elected" doesn't necessarily guarantee Democratic rule. Hitler claimed to be socialist at first too, though all the 'nationalizing' he did oddly didn't seem to end up 'socializing' much...
Reply #25 Top

Hitler claimed to be socialist at first too, though all the 'nationalizing' he did oddly didn't seem to end up 'socializing' much...

he also came to power under a type of democracy.