>>I really liked your post. If you get into the literature of the design of the first atomic weapons, you will learn that a lot of the seminal atomic research was done in Germany by German scientists. It was fear of Germany obtaining these weapons that called into being the magnitude of the Manhattan Project. While history isn't scientific, it's my opinion that if Germany hadn't surrendered before the weapon was ready, it would certainly have been used on Germany first. I don't think racism took a role in the decision. In fact, there are records that a cultural awareness of the Japanese was practised, in that Kyoto was taken off the target list.<<

This is patently untrue. Memos have already been released that prove that the US never had any intention of dropping the bomb on Germany.

Here was the reason: Germany is essentially land-locked. If you drop a new type of bomb over Germany and it doesn't go off, you've just handed them your most devastating weapon. With Japan, if the bomb fails to go off, it falls in the water (the bombs were detonated over the ocea not over land). They can fish it out but that takes time and that gives you time to drop your second one.

The problem is, if the first one works you still have to drop the second one because that's what it was made for.

With that said, there was no justification. Sorry, but I refuse to believe a bunch of hungry woman and children were this big threat to us big, tough Americans. If Japanese military had died in the bomb that would be one thing. We're talking mostly women and children, folks. Women and children. No amount rationalizing and patriotic chest-beating and high-fiving erases that cold, hard fact.