The Atom-Bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Today is 12 August 2026. Three days ago was 9th August and three days before that it was 6th August. Hiroshima was atom-bombed on 6 August 1945, and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. It is interesting that while countless tomes are continuously being written on all kinds of massacres and mass-killings by every possible race, nation and culture of every possible other race, nation and culture, these historical atom-bombings rarely ever figure in these discourses. A chance reference in something I was reading made me curious about certain aspects of this much-camouflaged highlight of the 20th century, and impelled me to highlight these aspects.
A question on google: “how many people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb” elicits the answer :
“An estimated 150,000 to 246,000 people died from the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the end of 1945. This total includes
people killed instantly by the blasts and those who died from burns, injuries,
or radiation sickness in the following weeks and months. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Breakdown by City
·
Hiroshima: Between 90,000 and 166,000
people died (roughly 70,000 to 80,000 killed instantly or in the first day).
·
Nagasaki: Between 60,000 and 80,000
people died (roughly 40,000 killed instantly or in the first day). [1, 2, 3, 4]
Causes of Death
·
The Blast: Massive shockwaves and
collapsing buildings.
·
Firestorms: Intense heat and spreading fires
that trapped people in the cities.
· Radiation: Acute radiation sickness in 1945, followed by an increased risk of cancer and leukemia in the years that followed. [1, 2, 3, 4]”
A question: “how many people were directly affected by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb” elicits the answer:
“An estimated 210,000 to over 400,000 people were directly
affected by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
This includes roughly 150,000 to 246,000 deaths by the end of 1945, and an
equal number of injured survivors who suffered long-term health consequences. [1, 2]
Casualties in Hiroshima
·
Initial Population: Roughly 340,000 to
350,000 people.
·
Deaths: At least 70,000 to 80,000
people died instantly, and the death toll rose to about 140,000 by the end of
1945 due to radiation and burns.
·
Injured: Tens of thousands more
suffered severe trauma, burns, and radiation sickness. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Casualties in Nagasaki
·
Initial Population: Roughly 240,000
people.
·
Deaths: Around 40,000 people died
instantly, with total deaths reaching roughly 74,000 by the end of 1945.
·
Injured: Over 75,000 people sustained
direct injuries from the blast, heat, and radiation. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The Survivors (Hibakusha)
·
Total Survivors: Approximately 210,000
people survived the immediate blasts with varying degrees of physical and
radiation injury.
·
Long-term Impact: Survivors, known as hibakusha, faced decades of
increased cancer risks, leukemia, and psychological trauma. Over 500,000 total
official victims and survivors have since passed away and been logged into the
cities' peace memorials.”
A question: “has the USA ever expreessed any kind of regrets or apologies for the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Naagasaki” elicits the answer:
“The United States has never officially apologized or
expressed formal regret for dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
1945. Successive U.S. administrations have maintained the historical stance
that the bombings were militarily necessary to end World War II and prevent a
bloody land invasion of Japan. [1, 2]
Presidential Stances and Visits
Barack Obama (2016): Became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. While he offered heartfelt condolences and acknowledged the immense tragedy of civilian lives lost, he explicitly stated beforehand that he would not issue an apology.
Joe Biden (2023): Visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park during a G7 summit to lay wreaths and meet with survivors, but similarly did not offer any formal apology or question the original wartime decision.
Bill Clinton (1995): Publicly echoed
previous administrations by stating that no apology was necessary because the
action brought a rapid end to the war. [1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6]
Reasons for the Official Position
·
The Necessity Narrative: The mainstream
American perspective maintains that the atomic strikes saved hundreds of
thousands of Allied and Japanese lives by forcing a swift surrender. [1, 2,
3, 4, 5]
·
Legal and Financial Concerns: Officials
have historically worried that an official apology could open legal pathways
for demands of financial compensation or war crime recognitions. [1, 2]
·
Diplomatic Alignment: Both U.S. and
Japanese governments have generally preferred to focus on future
non-proliferation, reconciliation, and their modern alliance rather than
revisiting 1945 wartime judgments. [1, 2]”
And finally, a question “how does
the American public feel about the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nasgasaki”
elicits the answer:
“Today, American public opinion on the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki is increasingly divided and nuanced compared to 1945,
when approval ratings topped 85 percent. Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows that U.S. adults are roughly
split: about a third view the bombings as justified, a third consider them
unjustified, and the rest remain unsure or ambivalent.”
But there is more.
A question “how do the Japanese view the USA” elicits the answer:
“Japanese people generally view the United States with a
mix of deep cultural fascination, strong strategic alliance, and distinct
social reservations. While pop culture and innovation are deeply admired,
societal norms and safety issues are often viewed with caution or bewilderment.
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Cultural Admiration and Stereotypes
·
Creativity and Freedom: America is
widely seen as a free, expressive, and highly inventive nation where people can
pursue individual lifestyles. [1,
2]
·
Media Influence: Hollywood movies,
music, and fashion shape a trendy, glamorous image of the U.S., particularly
among younger generations. [1,
2, 3]
·
Food and Lifestyle: American food is
viewed as fun and indulgent, though widely perceived as unhealthy, overly
caloric, and massive in portion size. [1]
Social and Behavioral Criticisms
·
Loudness and Directness: Americans are
frequently stereotyped as overly forward, loud, or aggressive compared to
Japan’s more reserved communication style. [1, 2]
·
Safety Concerns: High rates of violent
crime, gun violence, and political polarization make many Japanese view
day-to-day life in the U.S. as unstable or unsafe. [1, 2]
·
Work Ethic: Public opinion surveys
(such as Pew Research) show that relatively few Japanese associate Americans
with traditional traits like being "hardworking" or
"honest," viewing them instead through a lens of casual
individualism. [1, 2]
Geopolitical and Economic Views
·
Strong Alliance: The U.S.–Japan
security treaty is widely recognized as essential for regional stability and
defense against rising regional threats. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
·
Confidence in Power: The Japanese
public generally has high confidence in American technological, economic, and
military leadership, viewing the U.S. as a vital and reliable partner.”
See? The atom-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki never ever took place at all if one goes by the attitude of the Japanese people themselves: they seem to know nothing about the American role in these bombings, even if somehow they do happen to know about the bombings themselves. Can we then blame all the massacre-historians who fail to take into account these atom-bombings even as they keep track of all other mass-massacres?
But then the USA is the country whose
original inhabitants were massacred into near-extinction by the presently
ruling White inhabitants of the nation. Perhaps the most important festival in
the USA is Thanksgiving, which celebrates this mass-massacre.
A question: “is thanksgiving popular
in the USA” elicits the answer:
“Yes, Thanksgiving is one of the
most popular and widely celebrated national holidays in the United States, with
surveys showing that roughly 91% of Americans observe it. It takes place on the fourth
Thursday of November and is centered on family gatherings, large meals, and
expressing gratitude.”
Another question “true history of thanksgiving” elicits the following answer:
“The traditional myth of Thanksgiving depicts a peaceful
1621 harvest meal between Pilgrims and friendly Native Americans. In reality,
the event was a fragile political alliance, far removed from a modern family
holiday, and was shaped by centuries of land seizure, conflict, and
myth-making. [1, 2,
3, 4]
The 1621 Harvest Event
·
The Context: The Plymouth colonists
arrived in 1620 on stolen Wampanoag land, weakened by disease and starvation.
·
The Wampanoag Alliance: Massasoit,
leader of the Wampanoag, chose to ally with the English to protect his people
against rival tribes.
·
The Real Meal: The three-day autumn
feast included local seafood (cod, clams, eel) and venison provided by roughly
90 Wampanoag men who joined the gathering, rather than a formal holiday feast.
[1, 2, 3,
4, 5]
From Harvest to National Holiday
·
Religious "Thanksgivings":
Early Puritan colonists regularly declared "days of thanksgiving" to
thank God for military victories or successful raids against indigenous
villages. [1, 2, 3]
·
The Shift to National Unity: President
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 during the
Civil War, hoping to foster national unity. [1, 2, 3, 4]
·
The Myth-making: In the 19th and 20th
centuries, writers like Sarah Josepha Hale popularized the romanticized
"Pilgrim and Indian" narrative to create a cohesive national origin
myth. [1, 2]
Indigenous Perspectives
·
Conflict and Loss: Decades after 1621,
broken treaties and expanding colonial power led to devastating conflicts, such
as the Pequot War and King Philip's War, resulting in the displacement and
death of vast numbers of Native Americans. [1,
2, 3, 5]
·
National Day of Mourning: Since 1970,
many Indigenous people and allies have gathered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on
the fourth Thursday of November to observe a National Day of Mourning, honoring
ancestors and remembering the painful history of colonialism.”
There are articles and videos available which give the true gory history of thanksgiving in more vivid detail.
But do we have to go into the past?
Within the last 100 years, after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we have
had Vietnam, Iraq, Libya and countless other
largely-ignored or stonewalled events in different parts of Latin America
as well as Asia and Africa. Perhaps everything has become more
blatant (but nothing has really changed at all) after the rise of Trump…,
This is the country which projects itself as the beacon of Democracy, Justice, Civil Rights, Human Rights, etc. and bulldozes its way through the world with its all-powerful secret services, spy networks, missionary networks, NGO networks, media goliaths, “academic” monopolies, war-mongering multinational corporations, etc. delivering moral judgments on the activities of other countries and levying punishments and sanctions on them.
Yes, this is Kalyug all right!
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