Nagasaki 64 Years ago Today. Warning - Post may contain Hope.

The city of Nagasaki was the target of the world's second atomic bomb attack at 11:02 a. m. on 9 August 1945, when the north of the city was destroyed and an estimated 70,000 people killed outright with another 70,000 doomed to die of bomb-related causes in the decades that followed. The Nagasaki bomb was larger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima three days earlier and was a plutonium bomb, whereas the Hiroshima bomb was a uranium bomb.
Nagasaki was not the intended target of the bomb dropped on 9th August - this was Kokura, near Fukuoka. However, cloud cover made it impossible to drop the bomb on Kokura, and it was dropped on the fallback target of Nagasaki instead.

link

I hope people take a moment to put their differences aside and remember the loss of life, in the opinions of some the saving of lives, and for all to remember a day that marked a turning point in the history of our civilization when verily the world changed forever.

This thread is not about the right and wrongs of using nuclear weapons.

This thread is about making sure it never happens again.

In light of the recent incidents in North Korea, the Russians actively working towards disarmament, the Obama administration calling for an end to nuclear arms, now more than ever before the world must look back, and prove that having learned from it’s mistakes give hope to the worlds children incident such as this never take place again.

The greatest tribute we could give as a world to the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - To not let those lives be lost in vain.


Nagasaki mayor urges worldwide nuclear arms ban

"We, as human beings, now have two paths before us. While one can lead us to a world without nuclear weapons, the other will carry us toward annihilation, bringing us to suffer once again the destruction experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 64 years ago," he said

Question: The tiger has been unleashed, it's fallout being years of world wide proliferation of atomic arsenals.

Do you think it's possible to ever again live in a world free from nuclear weapons?


NOTE: If you'd like to debate the morals of bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you can do so here 64 Years ago, Yesterday.

Please keep this thread free from such debate.

Thank you.

peace

[edit on 9-8-2009 by silo13]

Star, and Flag to the OP.

Thanks a bunch. I'm glad you did this thread in a very tasteful way, and full of RESPECT.






[edit on 9-8-2009 by sanchoearlyjones]

1. Join others who care.

Visit Waging Peace Org

Sign up for membership and to receive their newsletter

2. Make your voice heard

Join the Turn the Tide Campaign

Question Candidates

Vote your conscience

3. Share the message

Hand out dvd’s - put on presentations, etc.

peace


[edit on 9-8-2009 by silo13]

reply to post by silo13


Okay, Yep four edits later, and finally there. I think the video above is about as accurate, or close to the feeling of absolute destruction.

It must have been awful to have been there.

May the destructive power these weapons hold never be unleashed on humanity again. Thanks for yet another reminder. My wife is actually surprised that there are westerners who care about Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I think a nuclear attack on human life is inevitable there are to many nukes held by to many different countries we as clear thinking human beings know its not right but the elite do as they please sad to say we have seen it many times before they manipulate and buy their way as they please my heart gos out to the families and people that have lost loved ones to these tragic events its very sad that we are the most intelligent life on this planet but we cant stop from mass murdering each other for power and greed very sad to say the least i often wonder if or what intelligent beings from other places think or say of us if they are watching makes sense why they haven't made contact yet.

reply to post by Godhood

I think a nuclear attack on human life is inevitable

So are you saying you believe this will happen again?

Do you not believe there is a chance for complete eradication of nuclear weapons?

Just asking...

peace

reply to post by silo13

Silo,

Thank you for this sunday morning consideration (as it is sunday morning were i am)....

Star and flag for this great thread.

Peace

reply to post by silo13

So are you saying you believe this will happen again?

I don't want to share the same belief, but I do. Somewhere, sometime, someone is going to use one. Unfortunately, I think nuclear weapons will only be eradicated when there is something "better" to replace them. And even after they are replaced, there will still be the risk that one will be used. Some genies can't be forced back into their lamp.

reply to post by tamusan

I don't want to share the same belief, but I do. Somewhere, sometime, someone is going to use one. Unfortunately, I think nuclear weapons will only be eradicated when there is something "better" to replace them. And even after they are replaced, there will still be the risk that one will be used. Some genies can't be forced back into their lamp.

A very sobering post.

I can almost side now with the people who want aliens or Jesus to come and *save us* now.

If we can't eradicate nuclear weapons, and if the threat will continue to loom over our world as a whole, for 'all time' - until something more horrific comes along?

Sobering...

peace

Japan opposition backs Obama's nuclear-free plan

"Realizing a nuclear-free world as called for by U.S. President Obama is exactly the moral mission of our country as the only atomic-bombed state," Hatoyama, quoted by Kyodo news agency, told a ceremony marking the 1945 attack.

He was backed by the mayor of Hiroshima, where more than 260,000 people died from the bomb, either from the blast or later from the effects of the nuclear explosion.

Japan often refers to its position as the only country to suffer nuclear attacks when calling for the abolition of atomic weapons.

They were bombed - and over 250 thousand of their people died.

They are the ones with North Korea breathing down their necks.

And yet they stand by their abhorrence of nuclear armament.

If this does not inspire the world, what will?

Peace to Japan on this anniversary of her greatest sorrow.

peace

The problem with a 'nuclear free world' is that nuclear weapons are cheap, compared to conventional weapons. Neither Hiroshima nor Nagasaki were the most lethal bombing raids of World War II. The thing that made them frightening (to the Japanese) and attractive (to the U.S.) was that conventional city-killing raids required the use of hundreds (or thousands) of bombers, while a nuclear attack required one. It wasn't a matter of ability, but of efficiency.

In the modern era, that same efficiency continues to make nuclear weapons attractive to certain classes of international powers (not all of which are 'nations' in the conventional sense). Second-tier military forces (as two examples, India and Pakistan) still view nuclear weapons as key to their national survival even as the first-tier powers are shifting emphasis away from the nuclear option and toward ultra-precision conventional weapons, and non-nuclear area-denial weapons (MOAB and its ilk come to mind). Terrorist groups (not all of them belonging to a certain religion I won't bother naming) see nuclear weapons as the ultimate terror weapon (which they, in essence, are), and therefore desirable.

So long as those conditions exist, nuclear weapons will continue to exist. As for them never being used again, almost every revolutionary weapon from the crossbow to dynamite has been regarded as a weapon too horrible to use, or as a weapon that, through sheer terror, will make war impossible to wage in the future. To date, every single one of these 'super weapons' has been used, and with great enthusiasm. Barring a change in human nature that hasn't happened since the Neolithic age, that trend isn't likely to end until Humanity does.

reply to post by silo13


You are a very good person Silo 13 to start a thread that the entire world should take seriously. Nuclear war is the worst type of war. If ever a nuclear war starts out, it won't be like in the old days when just a few countries had atomic bombs. It will be total disaster for the entire world because too many countries have atomic bombs. There will be nowhere to hide and if the bombs don't kill you then the disease and famine afterwards will kill off the rest.

Once atomic bombs are exploded in a nuclear war food will become scare because all traffic (pedestrian and military) will cease to move. They will cease to move because of two reasons: (1) the EMP blasts will make most vehicles inoperable, and (2) any vehicle that is moving will be a target for survivors trying to survive.

Every country will soon realize that their own military survivors will soon realize that food is a hard product to come by and they in turn will use the weapons they have at their sides to take any and all food they wish to keep.

Traveling by foot will be slow. People are not used to carrying large amounts of purified water (a large water barrel for a family) on them from one place to the next. People aren't aquanted with purifying water usually unless they boil water and to boil water means starting a fire which may be seen or smelled by others in the distance. Others will be willing to kill to get easy rations. Just obtaining water will be hard, because you will not be able to drink or distill surface water, it will have to come from a well that you are sure hasn't been filled with rat poison or some other poison. It will not be a nice world my friends after a nuclear war.

People don't realize that if an atomic war starts up produce will stop flowing and starvation and disease will ravage any and all countries. There won't be any modern countries left untouched by nuclear war. People planning on eating game animals that they will hunt had better think again, most of them will be affected by radiation. IF you eat or drink radiation particles, they will cause cancer and you will be dead, dying a miserable slow painful death.

Nuclear weapons need to be banned worldwide. Why let a few people make the decision of killing billions of people, and making their escape to countries like South America like the Bush family obviously intends by purchasing their 100,000 acres in Paraguay, South America. The Nazi's did the same thing during and after WWII. The Nazi's made their escapes to South America and Antarctica after killing tens of millions of innocent people.

Stand together people and say "NO" to Nuclear Weapons of "ANY" type.

Here is the Nuclear Weapon Yield of Modern Atomic Bombs waiting to destroy Humans, their Habitations and their Environments

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by silo13


Well i think some countries with not so good intentions are gaining the ability to make and use nukes and that alone is not a good thing especially if these countries feel there are backed into a corner and feel there is no way out or they use them as a bargaining tool to make threats towards other countries they dislike to gain land or other things they want in trade to not use such weapons but these types of situations also spark other countries to take action basically i just think its a bad situation all the way around.Did you notice when the North Korea conflict was going people were saying just nuke them or when we were in Iraq people were quoting nuke them into one big slate of glass that's proof enough for me to see people want to act before they think about consequences way to often sad to say yes i think it may happen again i hope not but look at the way things are going around the world right now. Human beings as a whole need to come together in a way that's good for humanity and good for OUR Earth.

reply to post by RussianScientists

Nuclear weapons need to be banned worldwide.

Yes, I agree, in a perfect world they would be.

We can just keep working towards those ends, not give up that fight...

Thanks for your post, very informative, and scary, but appreciated one the less...

peace

reply to post by Godhood

Did you notice when the North Korea conflict was going people were saying just nuke them...

Yes, and I was appalled by it. Such ignorance! It just makes me sick...

when we were in Iraq people were quoting nuke them into one big slate of glass that's proof enough for me to see people want to act before they think about consequences way to often sad to say yes i think it may happen again i hope not but look at the way things are going around the world right now. Human beings as a whole need to come together in a way that's good for humanity and good for OUR Earth.

Agreed!

And it starts right here... *Reaches out to shake your hand*

Let’s just not give up spreading this word and doing what we can to support those who are actively working towards world disarmament.

peace

reply to post by Brother Stormhammer

So long as those conditions exist, nuclear weapons will continue to exist. As for them never being used again, almost every revolutionary weapon from the crossbow to dynamite has been regarded as a weapon too horrible to use, or as a weapon that, through sheer terror, will make war impossible to wage in the future. To date, every single one of these 'super weapons' has been used, and with great enthusiasm. Barring a change in human nature that hasn't happened since the Neolithic age, that trend isn't likely to end until Humanity does.

Sure, I understand what you’re saying - in some respects you’re right.

IMO man can rise above the caveman age conscience and I hope this is the time the beginning of that ‘rise above‘ period in human history..

I really hope it’s the time people can see even having nukes is such a threat to mankind as a whole they will be abolished.

Problem is, what will come into play to fill the void (one thing I think you were getting at)...

That’s what’s really scary.

peace

Originally posted by Brother Stormhammer
The problem with a 'nuclear free world' is that nuclear weapons are cheap, compared to conventional weapons. Neither Hiroshima nor Nagasaki were the most lethal bombing raids of World War II. The thing that made them frightening (to the Japanese) and attractive (to the U.S.) was that conventional city-killing raids required the use of hundreds (or thousands) of bombers, while a nuclear attack required one. It wasn't a matter of ability, but of efficiency.

In the modern era, that same efficiency continues to make nuclear weapons attractive to certain classes of international powers (not all of which are 'nations' in the conventional sense). Second-tier military forces (as two examples, India and Pakistan) still view nuclear weapons as key to their national survival even as the first-tier powers are shifting emphasis away from the nuclear option and toward ultra-precision conventional weapons, and non-nuclear area-denial weapons (MOAB and its ilk come to mind). Terrorist groups (not all of them belonging to a certain religion I won't bother naming) see nuclear weapons as the ultimate terror weapon (which they, in essence, are), and therefore desirable.

So long as those conditions exist, nuclear weapons will continue to exist. As for them never being used again, almost every revolutionary weapon from the crossbow to dynamite has been regarded as a weapon too horrible to use, or as a weapon that, through sheer terror, will make war impossible to wage in the future. To date, every single one of these 'super weapons' has been used, and with great enthusiasm. Barring a change in human nature that hasn't happened since the Neolithic age, that trend isn't likely to end until Humanity does.

Very well summarised my friend.
Also i think the use of the nuke on that unfortunate day,
was a "look at my big muscles" show for the USA.
Since then they have been regarded (military wise)
the strongest and most powerful nation in the world.

Its a shame that so many people had to suffer such a fate.