September 2020 Vol. 75 No. 9
Editor's Log
Atomic Anniversary, Politics & Perspectives
By Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief
August was the 74th anniversary of the atomic age. The United States, still in the midst of a horrific war, developed a weapon that forever changed the world and shaped our country.
President Harry Truman made the fateful decision to drop an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and a few days later, when Japan’s military leaders still resisted calls for surrender, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The results were devasting, and the Japanese reluctantly surrendered, finally bringing a complete end to a war that they had started with the United States at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
President Truman’s agonizing decision to use the bomb was based upon the Japanese’ own doomsday tactics dictated by their proud warrior culture. To successfully invade and pacify the Japanese home islands, it was estimated that more than one million American soldiers would lose their lives, tens of millions of Japanese would be killed, and the nation would be gutted beyond recognition. Truman felt he had no choice but to use the bomb.
My father thought it was the correct course of action. He was in Germany, having spent close to three years fighting his way across North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. American soldiers in those theaters were being readied for another bloody assault in the Pacific.
My mother thought dropping the atomic bombs was the right decision. She was living in Tacoma, Wash., having moved there from Oklahoma when her husband of a year was drafted. She believed working in the shipyards was her duty and responsibility to support her husband and the war effort. In August 1945, she was foreman of a welding crew building Navy war ships. She spent every day worrying about her husband and praying he was still alive.
My parent’s story was repeated by millions of Americans. In fact, virtually any American who lived through World War II thought it was the right decision.
But times change and so do perspectives. In a Microsoft News/CivicScience poll taken in early August, Americans overall still supported the decision to use the bombs with 61 percent believing it was the right decision, and 20 percent saying it was the wrong decision. But that percentage of approval continues to erode with time as people forget the lessons of history.
In the modern world of polarizing politics, the poll found a weakening of resolve. “…When broken down by political leaning … among conservatives, almost 80 percent supported the use of nuclear weapons in World War II. Fifty-five percent of moderates supported use, and only 44 percent of liberals were in support.”
Today, we’re descendants of a generation that made the tough decisions and sacrificed at appalling personal cost. And while our mountains to climb aren’t nearly as steep or tall as those of the 1940s era, the challenges are potentially just as impactful. Our issues remain divisive with no sense of middle ground to tackle the great challenges of today and build tomorrow as our ancestors
strived to do.
The coronavirus pandemic brought a booming American economy to a screeching halt and effectively shut down the world. The virus affected every aspect of our daily lives and still threatens to do so for some time. By June, President Trump opted to allow states to start reopening in a cautious, controlled fashion. Immediately, employment skyrocketed. It was a lifeline for many businesses but especially for those small business owners, hanging onto solvency by their fingernails. Another wave of virus cases has inhibited business operations in some areas but, for the most part, the U.S. remains open and is slowly staggering back onto its feet. While Trump maintains opening up America is the right move, his opponent Joe Biden said in a recent interview that if his scientific advisors recommended shutting down the U.S. economy again, he would absolutely do so.
The pendulum swing of American politics to the far left threatens to erase the more business-friendly atmosphere built over the last three years. The petrochemical industry remains under siege, yet natural gas still offers the best and cheapest solution for America’s energy needs and immediate reduction of air pollution. Environmentalists fail to see opportunities, only an industry to blame.
As of this writing, I wouldn’t even attempt to predict how the upcoming political election will turn out. But the certainty is that 74 years after a momentous decision was made – the right decision – to take action and change the world, our country faces a plethora of critical decisions once again. Most concerning is that I hear a lot of pontificating, but not much listening. •
August was the 74th anniversary of the atomic age. The United States, still in the midst of a horrific war, developed a weapon that forever changed the world and shaped our country.
President Harry Truman made the fateful decision to drop an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and a few days later, when Japan’s military leaders still resisted calls for surrender, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The results were devasting, and the Japanese reluctantly surrendered, finally bringing a complete end to a war that they had started with the United States at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
President Truman’s agonizing decision to use the bomb was based upon the Japanese’ own doomsday tactics dictated by their proud warrior culture. To successfully invade and pacify the Japanese home islands, it was estimated that more than one million American soldiers would lose their lives, tens of millions of Japanese would be killed, and the nation would be gutted beyond recognition. Truman felt he had no choice but to use the bomb.
My father thought it was the correct course of action. He was in Germany, having spent close to three years fighting his way across North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. American soldiers in those theaters were being readied for another bloody assault in the Pacific.
My mother thought dropping the atomic bombs was the right decision. She was living in Tacoma, Wash., having moved there from Oklahoma when her husband of a year was drafted. She believed working in the shipyards was her duty and responsibility to support her husband and the war effort. In August 1945, she was foreman of a welding crew building Navy war ships. She spent every day worrying about her husband and praying he was still alive.
My parent’s story was repeated by millions of Americans. In fact, virtually any American who lived through World War II thought it was the right decision.
But times change and so do perspectives. In a Microsoft News/CivicScience poll taken in early August, Americans overall still supported the decision to use the bombs with 61 percent believing it was the right decision, and 20 percent saying it was the wrong decision. But that percentage of approval continues to erode with time as people forget the lessons of history.
In the modern world of polarizing politics, the poll found a weakening of resolve. “…When broken down by political leaning … among conservatives, almost 80 percent supported the use of nuclear weapons in World War II. Fifty-five percent of moderates supported use, and only 44 percent of liberals were in support.”
Today, we’re descendants of a generation that made the tough decisions and sacrificed at appalling personal cost. And while our mountains to climb aren’t nearly as steep or tall as those of the 1940s era, the challenges are potentially just as impactful. Our issues remain divisive with no sense of middle ground to tackle the great challenges of today and build tomorrow as our ancestors
strived to do.
The coronavirus pandemic brought a booming American economy to a screeching halt and effectively shut down the world. The virus affected every aspect of our daily lives and still threatens to do so for some time. By June, President Trump opted to allow states to start reopening in a cautious, controlled fashion. Immediately, employment skyrocketed. It was a lifeline for many businesses but especially for those small business owners, hanging onto solvency by their fingernails. Another wave of virus cases has inhibited business operations in some areas but, for the most part, the U.S. remains open and is slowly staggering back onto its feet. While Trump maintains opening up America is the right move, his opponent Joe Biden said in a recent interview that if his scientific advisors recommended shutting down the U.S. economy again, he would absolutely do so.
The pendulum swing of American politics to the far left threatens to erase the more business-friendly atmosphere built over the last three years. The petrochemical industry remains under siege, yet natural gas still offers the best and cheapest solution for America’s energy needs and immediate reduction of air pollution. Environmentalists fail to see opportunities, only an industry to blame.
As of this writing, I wouldn’t even attempt to predict how the upcoming political election will turn out. But the certainty is that 74 years after a momentous decision was made – the right decision – to take action and change the world, our country faces a plethora of critical decisions once again. Most concerning is that I hear a lot of pontificating, but not much listening. •
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