Yes, we might have defeated Japan, eventually, at the loss of 500,000 or a million lives. But we had this awful technology, wrought from the can-do spirit of America. We should be proud of the atomic bomb, and any lingering doubts should be dispelled by honestly answering one simple question: Had Japan the capacity, in early August 1945, to drop 100 atomic bombs on the 100 largest American cities, would they have done it?
This is the new moral standard: It's OK as long as the other guy would do it. An examination of our own guilt is not necessary as long as we're reasonably sure that our enemy is more guilty.
Crap like this inspires us towards moral laxity and cynicism. Is this what we want for our society?
