Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui on Sunday called for world leaders to recognize the “folly” of nuclear deterrence at a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on the city, killing an estimated 140,000 people.
“Leaders around the world must confront the reality that nuclear threats now being voiced by certain policymakers reveal the folly of the theory of nuclear deterrence,” Matsui said, according to Kyodo News. “They must immediately take concrete steps to lead us from the dangerous present toward our ideal world.”
Matsui urged Japan to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans nuclear weapons and currently has 92 signatories. Tokyo has faced criticism from anti-nuclear weapons activists for paying lip service to the idea of establishing a nuclear-free world while being under the protection of the US nuclear umbrella and rapidly building up its military.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who represents Hiroshima in parliament, also spoke at the ceremony. “Seventy-eight years ago today, a single atomic bomb deprived people said to number well more than 100,000 of their precious lives. It reduced the city to ashes and deprived people of their dreams and bright futures in an instant. Even those who escaped death suffered hardships that words cannot describe,” he said.
Discussing current global tensions, Kishida singled out Russia for its “nuclear threat” and made no mention of the fact that it was the US that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The US recently engaged in a blatant nuclear provocation in the region by docking a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since 1981.
Back in May, Group of Seven leaders held a summit in Hiroshima and gathered at the memorial in the city for the victims of the US bombing. After the visit, the G7 released a statement claiming that they are working toward a “world without nuclear weapons.” But policies announced by the G7 during the summit have brought the world closer to nuclear war, including President Biden giving the green light to send US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The mad scientists who created atomic and hydrogen bomb technology delivered their nightmare weapons to politicians ….. politicians! Think about that for a moment.
If I had a son fighting in the Pacific during that time, I would have been glad Japan was nuked so that my child could come home,alive, and in one piece. Remember Nanking,Korea, Manchuria,China,Pearl Harbor, and the Bataan death march,
So, your son is more important than the planet? Great attitude. Typical Ugly American self-centeredness.
On top of that, Japan wasn’t nuked because of WWII, that’s all propaganda. Japan was nuked in order to intimidate the Soviet Union.
As it was, my uncle was a combat infantryman in the 21st Army Division who took part in the horrific battle of the Philippines where he was wounded twice and worse witnessed his best friend from his hometown get killed. After the atomic bombing and Japan’s surrender, my uncle was stationed on Honshu with the Occupation Force. And, yes, of course he approved of dropping the atomic bombs to end the war.
In the bigger picture, it seems fairly clear at this point in time that Japan was defeated plus they were completely blockaded. It was only a matter of time before they surrendered, meaning the American invasion of the home islands of Japan would NOT have been necessary.
Evidently, the real reason the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a warning to the Soviet Union. The verifiable fact several Japanese cities were “saved” from destruction for the atomic bombs supports that claim.
REGARDLESS of how TRAGIC, you’ve got to admit this $hit is also FUNNY: “Discussing current global tensions, Kishida singled out Russia for its “nuclear threat” while speaking on the 78th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on HIROSHIMA! (Really bad Sarcasm)
you couldn’t make that sh*t up
edit = what
marking the 78th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on the city, killing an estimated 140,000 people
it is a freakin holiday. it is the goddamned glorification of the culmination of uncle sam hegemony. prove me wrong – assholes. what.
edit = atomic bomb dropped on a civilian city. what.
at some point one has to feel the despair that this modern world has become or one has to just give-up. what.
The argument made is that these weapons have kept the peace among the great powers for the past 78 years. Even if that is true, it is still not acceptable for the world to live under such a sword of Damocles where a mistake by one side or another can kill 90% of humanity.
Nuclear weapons must be reduced in number, taken off hair-trigger firing ability, and reliably monitored between the various parties to assure compliance and increase confidence.
You are right about Hair-Trigger-Alert (aka Launch On Warning). William Perry, former DOD Sec who argued against expansion of NATO under Clinton and nearly resigned over it, tells us that eliminating HTA (LOW) is the single most important thing we could do to guarantee our survival as we work to decrease and then hopefully eliminate nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately, some of the opposition to this comes from absolutist pacifist elements who insist that working for anything other than total elimination is a sell-out!!! TPNW or nothing, the argument goes. In so doing these anti-nukers ally themselves with the nuke hawks.
Indeed … as if the knowledge to build weapons can be forgotten once it’s mastered! Humanity will have to live with nukes now; the point is how to make them as safe as possible.
It’s not about being capable of making nuclear weapons. It’s about becoming wise enough not to.
wanna hear something funny? OK. my nephew came downstairs this morning and said “oh i found my keys!” i said, “oh were your keys lost again – where did you find them this time?”
“oh they were on top of my dresser cabinet.”
OMG you can not make this sh*t up.
WTF meanwhile the other side of the world is bombing each other.
not so funny after all, is it.
ok check this out yalls = Jim Nabors
i would pay good money to watch him pummel Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.
he could freakin knock both of their heads together.
https://youtu.be/7Jkkmb6jEAU?t=41