The Richard Rhodes book is really excellent and has got to be considered definitive on the Manhattan Project.

The scientists were split to some degree and Oppenheimer did not represent them well in the halls of power although he himself had serious reservations. Many of them were truly applled after seeing footage of Hiroshima and came down hard against additional use. A few led by Teller were wanting more, better, and bigger. Teller eventually had the lead in in developing "the Super" which was the H-Bomb and also came out against Oppenheimer who had become an advocate for only peaceful uses and lost all clearances as he was thought to be a communist. His trial is another one of the more disgraceful episodes in our history.

I never meant that I agreed with Truman's decision but I admire him for his courage in making ANY decision and sticking to it because HE thought it was right. Tell me when that's happened lately? Jesus, in the last 50 years we've been treated to committe decisions based on political need and then a series of waffling and unsteady changes until we can't tell who did what to whom and when.....but the country is getting fucked somehow!

We no longer dare to dream and work to make the dream reality. We now sort though all the options and measure them against some jalf-assed political standard that represnts no one. When we have sorted through them all, we develop a compromise based on the two least desirable alternatives and then add 59 amendments to it. In the end we have something that can pass easily for nothing.......like the Healthcare program. It can barely be considered a starting place.


Spaw